THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE 


RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS  AND  CHARACTER 


WASHINGTON. 


BY     E.     C.     M'GUIRE. 


'A  CHRISTIAN  is  the  highest  style  of  man."  .  .  .  YOUNG. 


NEW -YORK: 
HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  82,  CLIFF-STREET. 

M  DCCC  XXXVI. 


-    7  o 


ENTERED,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1836, 

BY    HARPER    AND    BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Southern  District  of  the  State  of  New- York. 


HENRY  LUDWIO,  PRINTER- 


.  /7 


PREFACE. 


THE  author  would  here  give  a  brief  explanation  of 
the  motives  which  have  led  him  to  engage  in  the 
work  now  submitted  to  the  public. 

The  character  of  Washington,  on  which  time  has 
fixed  its  authentic  and  unequivocal  seal,  is  justly  con 
sidered  the  property  of  his  country,  and,  in  a  measure, 
of  the  civilized  world.  They  may  fairly  claim  him  as 
their  own,  for  whom,  when  living,  he  hazarded  his 
all — his  honour,  fortune,  and  life !  for  whom  he  ever 
cherished  anxious  cares — for  whom  he  toiled  and  suf 
fered.  Nor  are  they  without  a  title,  who,  partaking  of 
our  common  nature,  shared  his  philanthropic  sympa 
thies,  and  earnest  prayers. 

Such  a  reputation  is  a  treasure  to  mankind  which 
never  can  be  told.  Blessings  innumerable  descend  up 
on  the  favoured  people  who  rest  under  its  shadow.  It 
sheds  upon  them  peace,  security,  and  credit.  They 
shine  in  its  light,  and  derive  from  it,  directly  and  indi 
rectly,  many  eminent  advantages. 

But  some  of  the  choicest  benefits  of  so  rare  a  charac 
ter,  are  found  in  its  influence  upon  the  principles  and 
conduct  of  those,  who  are  taught  to  regard  the  same 


M317384 


IV  PREFACE. 

with  attention  and  reverence.  A  virtuous  example  is 
very  powerful  to  persuade  and  control  the  human  mind. 
Abundant  evidence  have  we  of  this,  in  the  happy  fruits 
of  that  ascendancy  which  has  marked  the  honoured 
name  before  us.  The  good  effects  which  have  flowed 
to  our  land  from  the  moral  weight  of  his  excellent  life, 
cannot  be  justly  estimated.  These  effects  have  been  in 
creasing  with  the  rapid  growth  of  our  country,  and  must 
continue  to  multiply  as  she  advances  in  numbers  and 
intelligence.  Nor  will  the  limits  of  his  own  country 
confine  the  virtue  of  his  high  example.  It  has  already 
extended  in  its  salutary  efficacy  to  other  climes,  and  no 
doubt  will  prevail  wherever  goodness  is  revered,  or  great 
ness  respected. 

As  few  men  have  acted  a  more  important  or  spirit- 
stirring  part  in  the  drama  of  human  life,  so  few  have 
awakened  a  deeper  interest,  or  a  more  rigid  scrutiny  of 
their  principles,  motives,  and  actions.  The  inquiry, 
prompted  by  an  ardent  sympathy,  has  been  attended  by 
much  diligent  research,  severe  analysis,  and  patient 
reflection.  Whatever  he  thought,  or  said,  or  did,  has 
been  examined,  considered,  and  weighed,  with  a  solici 
tude  and  caution,  prompted  by  the  wish  to  understand 
aright,  and  fitly  appreciate,  the  character  of  one  so  emi 
nently  useful  to  his  kind,  and  signally  owned  of  Heav 
en.  The  fruit  of  this  investigation  is  so  well  known, 
that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the  trial  to 
which  his  fame  has  been  subjected,  has  issued  in  the 
universal  admission,  that  greatness  and  goodness  at 
tach  to  his  character,  in  a  degree,  seldom  found  to  exist 
in  the  same  human  being, 


PREFACE.  V 

It  appears,  however,  to  the  writer,  that  among  the 
various  traits  distinguishing  so  rare  a  personage,  the 
attention  of  the  public  has  been  rather  partially  distri 
buted.  The  qualities  of  the  hero  and  statesman,  uni 
versally  attractive  as  they  are,  have  been  those  on 
which  the  most  have  chiefly  delighted  to  dwell.  Here 
they  have  lingered,  with  fixed  and  unwearied  admi 
ration.  In  the  mean  time  other  important  peculi 
arities  of  disposition  and  habit,  have  been  suffered  to 
pass  unnoticed,  or  with  only  a  reluctant  and  impatient 
glance.  Among  these  may  be  especially  numbered  the 
religious  views  and  character  of  this  illustrious  man. 
These,  indeed,  have  not  been  entirely  unobserved  by 
the  public,  and  no  doubt  have  much  engaged  the  atten^ 
tion  of  some.  But  they  have  not  shared  a  due  pro 
portion  of  interest,  or  their  merited  pre-eminence  in  the 
constellation  of  his  virtues. 

It  is  well  known,  that  distinguished  persons  in  our 
land,  have  evinced  a  strange  anxiety  to  impress  the 
world  with  a  belief  that  the  Father  of  his  Country  was 
sceptical  at  heart,  in  regard  to  the  Divine  Authority  of  the 

Bible.  * Instances  of  this  singular  zeal  could 

readily  be  specified,  if  it  was  expedient  to  do  so.  The 
remarkable  fact,  however,  is  within  the  recollection  of 
jnany,  that  a  public  discussion  took  place  some  few 
years  ago,  in  one  of  our  principal  cities,  in  reference  to 
this  very  question— Washington's  faith  in  Christianity 
being  boldly  denied  by  one  individual,  and  as  positively 
affirmed  by  another .* 

*  This  public  debate  was  held  in  the  City  of  New- York,  and 
conducted  by  Mr.  Owen,  of  radical  memory,  aod  Mr.  Bachelor.. 

1* 


VI  PREFACE. 

Without  attaching  any  undue  importance  to  the  judg 
ment  of  any  mere  man,  in  reference  to  the  Holy  Scrip 
tures,  or  indeed  on  any  other  subject,  the  writer  is  yet 
impressed  with  the  belief  that  a  useful  service  may  be 
rendered  the  cause  of  religion  and  morality,  by  placing 
the  question  of  Washington's  religious  opinions  and  con 
duct,  in  a  satisfactory  point  of  view.  The  solicitude 
which  others  have  manifested  to  perplex  and  mislead 
inquirers,  may  be  considered  a  justification  of  any  effort, 
fairly  made,  to  disabuse  the  public  mind  of  false  impres 
sions.  The  truth  being  once  established,  it  may  then 
pass  for  what  it  is  worth,  and  every  man  be  left  to  draw 
his  own  conclusions,  and  place  upon  the  result  such  an 
estimate  as  he  may  think  fit. 

This  humble  performance  is  presented  by  the  author 
to  his  fellow-citizens,  without  any  of  the  pomp  of  literary 
pretence,  or  the  hope  of  literary  reward.  He  has  but 
one  design  in  contemplation,  as  the  fruit  of  his  labour, 
and  that  is,  the  advancement  of  true  religion  and  virtue 
in  his  native  land ;  and  with  this  cherished  view,  does 
he  lay  upon  the  altar  of  his  country,  this  offering  of  a 
single  heart,  if  not  of  an  accomplished  pen. 


FREDERICKSBURGH,  Virginia,  Sept.  15,  1S36. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


THE  author  has  been  at  much  pains  to  acquire  the 
requisite  materials  for  his  present  undertaking.  To  this 
end,  he  flatters  himself  that  the  means  within  his  reach, 
are  unusually  ample.  Besides  the  ordinary  sources  of 
information,  he  has  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  access  to 
some,  not  heretofore  thrown  open  to  others.  His  main 
dependance,  however,  has  been  on  such  authorities  as 
are  familiar  to  all,  though  not  before  so  collected  and 
combined  into  one  harmonious  whole,  as  to  give  them 
their  just  influence  on  the  public  mind.  It  may  be  ad 
ded,  that  in  search  of  matter,  there  has  been  a  studious 
refusal  of  whatever  could  be  regarded  as  apocryphal  or 
fanciful — care  being  taken  to  employ  only  such  facts  as 
can  be  proved  authentic,  or  bear  the  indubitable  marks 
of  being  so. 

As  there  will  be  in  the  body  of  the  work,  the  usual 
references  to  important  authorities,  it  will  not  be  neces 
sary  to  enumerate  them  here.  This  may,  however,  be 
the  place  to  say.  that  in  consequence  of  the  miscella 
neous,  and  in  some  respects  desultory  character  which 
the  work  has  assumed,  the  author  has  not  encumbered 


Vlll  ADVERTISEMENT. 

his  pages,  or  obstructed  the  progress  of  his  readers,  with 
a  reference,  in  every  instance,  of  a  quoted  article.  In 
deed  it  was  not  possible  always  to  decide  on  whose 
authority  particular  facts  depend  for  their  claim  to  con 
fidence.  Through  so  many  hands  have  they  passed, 
regarded  always  as  common  property,  that  their  pater 
nity  can  only  be  appropriated  to  a  universally  credited 
tradition. 


CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTION, 13 

CHAPTER  I. 

Religious  education  of  Washington — Record  of  his  birth  and  bap 
tism — Sponsors — Solemn  vows  of  sponsors — Parental  instruc 
tion — Death  of  his  father — The  untamed  colt — George  is  sent 
to  Westmoreland — Pope's  Creek  Church — Goes  to  school — 
Peaceable  disposition  —  Beloved  by  his  companions — Adopts 
sundry  rules  of  conduct — Is  anxious  to  enter  the  British  navy — 
Affection  for  his  mother  causes  him  to  decline — Leaves  West 
moreland — Resides  with  his  brother  Lawrence  at  Mount  Ver- 
non,  and  with  his  mother  near  Fredericksburg — Religious  and 
moral  instruction — Familiar  with  a  pious  work,  "Contempla 
tions,  Moral  and  Divine,  by  Sir  Matthew  Hale" — Extracts 
from  the  volume, 29 

CHAPTER  II. 

His  religious  opinions — Northern  journal — Letter  to  the  State 
Governours — Judge  Boudinot's  opinion  of  his  faith — Farewell 
address — Religion  and  morality  essential  to  the  welfare  of 
mankind — French  infidelity — The  contagion  thereof  reaches 
America — Extracts  from  Robert  Hall,  Dr.  Wardlaw,  and  Dr. 
Chalmers — Bequest  of  a  Bible — Testimony  of  Chief  Justice 
Marshall, 69 

CHAPTER  III. 

His  views  of  Divine  Providence — Reflections  on  the  doctrine — His 
belief  in  a  particular  Providence,  firm  and  unqualified — Extracts 
from  his  letters,  declaring  his  convictions  on  the  subject,  ...  99 

CHAPTER  IV. 

His  devotional  habits — Remarks  on  the  duty  of  prayer — Prayers 
at  Fort  Necessity — Performed  the  funeral  service  at  the  inter 
ment  of  General  Braddock— Conducts  the  devotions  of  his 
troops  during  the  French  and  Indian  war — Urges  Governour 
Dinwiddie  to  appoint  a  chaplain  to  his  regiment — Extracts  from 
bis  diary— Holds  the  office  of  vestryman  in  his  parish— The 


X  CONTENTS. 

church  in  a  state  of  decay — Instrumental  in  building  a  new  one 
— A  constant  attendant — A  communicant — Testimony  of  Rev. 
Lee  Massey — Reverential  deportment  in  the  house  of  God — 
Visitors  not  suffered  to  keep  him  from  the  church — Rigid  ob 
servance  of  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation,  and  prayer — Visit  to 
Philadelphia — Attendance  on  public  worship — Order  issued  the 
day  after  he  took  command  of  the  American  army — Extracts 
from  the  Orderly  Book — After  the  war,  worships  at  Christ 
church,  Alexandria — Renders  his  pew  liable  for  the  clergyman's 
salary — National  convention— Dr.  Franklin's  motion  for  the 
appointment  of  a  chaplain— Infidel  objection— Chaplain  appoint 
ed — Washington's  gratification — His  attendance  on  public  wor 
ship  whilst  President  of  the  United  States — Attended  at  Christ 
Church — Bishop  White  the  rector— After  his  retirement  wor 
ships  again  in  Christ  church,  Alexandria — Habits  of  private  de 
votion — Remarks  of  Dr.  Mason, 134 

CHAPTER  V. 

His  respect  for  the  Sabbath— Reflections  on  the  Day  by  Dr, 
Dwight,  Dr.  Rush,  and  Chief  Justice  Hale — Washington  in 
Connecticut— Stopped  on  Sunday  morning  by  an  informing  offi 
cer — Commends  the  officer,  and  explains  the  cause  of  his  travel 
ling  on  the  Lord's  Day — Whilst  President,  would  not  receive 
company  on  the  Sabbath— Speaker  Trumbull  alone  admitted — 
After  church,  spent  the  evening  in  reading  a  sermon,  or  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  to  Mrs.  Washington, 171 

CHAPTER  VI. 

His  respect  for  the  clergy — Solicits  Governour  Dinwiddie  to  ap 
point  a  chaplain — The  Governour  offended  at  his  importunity — 
Renews  his  application  to  the  president  of  the  council — Letter 
to  Dr.  Cooper,  president  of  King's  College,  New- York — Instruc 
tions  to  General  Arnold— Letter  in  behalf  ofthe  Rev.  Mr.  Kirk, 
land,  missionary  to  the  Oneida  Indians — Testimonial  in  favour 
ofthe  Rev.  Mr.  Leonard — Urges  on  Congress  an  increase  ofthe 
chaplains'  pay — Requires  the  troops  to  render  them  a  suitable 
respect — Mentions  kindly  the  Rev.  Mr.  Caldwell — Letter  to 
Rev.  Israel  Evans — Dr.  Dwight  wishes  to  dedicate  a  poem  to 
him — Letter  to  that  gentleman — Letter  to  the  minister,  elders, 
and  deacons,  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  Raritan — Rev, 
Dr.  Griffith,  minister  of  the  church  in  Alexandria— Bishop-elect 
of  Virginia— Died  in  Philadelphia,  August,  1789— Extract  from 
his-funeral  sermon,  preached  by  Dr.  William  Smith — Washing 
ton's  affection  for  him  as  his  friend  and  pastor — Bishop  White  a 
guest  at  the  mansion  of  the  President, 176 

CHAPTER  VII. 

His  almsgiving — Reflections  on  the  duty — Charity  to  the  poor — 
Kindness  to  an  English  soldier— Liberal  offer  to  educate  a 


CONTENTS.  XI  . 

youth— Letter  to  Edward  Snickers— Letter  to  Lund  Washing- 
ion— Sundry  instances  of  benevolence,  » 186 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

His  filiaUove— -Remarks  on  the  virtue— -His  desire  for  the  navy 
relinquished  in  deference  to  his  mother's  wishes — Letters  to  his 
mother — Extract  from  his  diary — Visit  to  his  mother  at  Freder- 
icksburg— Her  death— Will— Appoints  him  executor  and  prin 
cipal  legatee — Letter  from  him  to  his  sister, 196 

CHAPTER  IX. 

His  conjugal  love — The  value  of  this  virtue — Proofs  of  the  same  in. 
him — A  miniature  likeness  of  Mrs.  Washington  found  on  his 
bosom  after  his  death — Worn  by  him  for  forty  years, ....  208 

CHAPTER   X. 

His  respect  for  superiors — Importance  of  sucli  a  spirit  in  commu 
nities — Letter  to  Governour  Dinwiddie — Letter  to  Joseph 
Reed — Respect  for  Congress, 218 

CHAPTER    XL 

His  self-denial — A  painful  but  wholesome  duty — Extracts  from 
his  journal — Trials  of  his  early  military  life — Health  impaired 
—Retires  to  Mount  Vernon — On  recovery  of  his  health,  resumes 
his  command — Much  discouraged  in  prosecuting  the  war — Plain 
ness  of  dress — Difficulties  during  the  revolutionary  war — En 
dured  with  great  patience — Letter  to  Major  General  Green — 
Visit  of  Colonel  Meade,  his  former  aid-de-camp — The  simplici 
ty  of  his  dress, 224 

CHAPTER  XII. 

His  disinterestedness — Letter  to  John  Robinson,  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Burgesses — Disc'aims  selfish  motives  on  entering  into 
the  service  of  his  country — Losses  under  General  Braddock — 
Decline  >  compensation  on  accepting  the  command  of  the  Amer 
ican  army — Letters  to  Lund  Washington, 240 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

His  humanity — Excellence  of  this  virtue — Kindness  to  French 
prisoners — Letter  to  Governour  Dinwiddie — Sympathy  with  ^ 
those  suffering  by  the  French  and  Indian  war — Letter  to  Gen 
eral  Gage — Instructions  to  General  Arnold — Lord  Chatham's 
son — Letter  to  the  President  of  Congress — Proclamation,  &c. — 
Expostulates  with  Lord  Howe  on  cruel  treatment  of  prisoners — 
Cases  of  Major  Andre"  and  Captain  Asgill,  considered — The 
humanity  of  Washington  in  regard  thereto,  vindicated,  .  .  .  249 


Xll  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

His  views  of  profane  swearing,  gaming,  and  drunkenness— Evil 
of  these  vices — Letters  to  Governour  Dinwiddie  in  relation  to 
them — Order  issued  to  his  troops  in  the  French  and  Indian 
war — Similar  orders  in  the  revolutionary  war — Letter  to  his 
nephew,  Bushrod  Washington,  ...........  30G 

CHAPTER  XV. 

His  views  of  war — Pernicious  effects  of  war — Remarks  of  Robert 
Hall — Letters  to  Richard  Washington— Address  to  the  New- 
York  Provincial  Congress — Letter  to  Arthur  Young,  Esq. — 
Letter  to  the  Humane  Society — Letter  from  Dr.  Letsom,  of 
London — War  regarded  as  a  necessary  evil  by  Washing 
ton — Peace  his  delight, 317 

CHAPTTR  XVI. 

His  views  of  duelling — His  conduct  under  provocation  in  Alexan 
dria — Letter  to  Marquis  La  Fayette — Refuses  him  his  con 
sent  to  send  a  challenge  to  Lord  Carlisle, 328 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

His  death— Account  thereof  by  Tobias  Lear — Death  sudden — 
Resignation  to  the  will  of  God— Mrs.  Washington  at  his  bed 
side — Bible  on  the  bed — Directions  concerning  his  funeral — 
Closes  his  own  eyes — His  funeral — Inscription  on  the  door  of 

!    the  Family  vault, 336 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Posthumous  honours — Public  grief  and  lamentations  at  his 
death — Funeral  orations  and  eulogies  pronounced  in  all  the 
principal  towns  and  cities — Extracts  from  those  delivered  by 
General  H.  Lee,  J.  M.  Sewall,  Esq.,  Hon.  David  Ramsay, 
George  Blake,  Esq.,  Hon.  Fisher  Ames,  Hon.  Timothy 
Bigelow,  John  Davis,  Esq.,  Rev.  William  Lirin,  D.D.,  Hon. 
J.  Smith,  Dr.  Joseph  Blyth,  Rev.  J.  M.  Mason,  Major  Wil 
liam  Jackson,  Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt,  Josiah  Dunham,  Esq., 
Rev.  John  Thornton  Kirkland 356 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Character  of  Washington 397 


INTRODUCTION. 


AN  account  of  the  early  years  of  WASHINGTON,  will  pro 
bably  be  regarded  as  a  proper  introduction  to  the  following 
work.  With  such  a  chart,  the  progress  of  the  reader  will 
be  rendered  more  easy,  as  he  will  not  then  be  detained  with 
explanations  and  references,  otherwise  unavoidable.  Some 
thing  of  the  kind  becomes  expedient,  moreover,  for  other 
reasons  entitled  to  weight. 

Of  the  many  narratives  published  of  this  period  of  Wash 
ington's  life,  it  is  believed  that  none  have  been  correct. 
The  prominent  facts  may  have  been  given,  but  not  without 
striking  errors  and  contradictions  in  them  all.  These,  in 
deed,  may  not  be  of  very  great  moment,  but  it  certainly  is 
desirable  that  the  statements  should  be  accurate.  If  the 
history  is  of  any  value,  it  is  worthy  of  being  exact  in  its 
details.  The  author  cannot  say  that  he  has  attained  to 
perfect  accuracy,  in  regard  to  all  the  facts,  dates,  &c.,  but 
he  has  been  enabled  to  rectify  sundry  mistakes  of  former 
biographers,  and  to  give,  as  he  thinks,  a  record  more  faith 
ful  than  any  which  has  yet  appeared. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  was  born  on  the  22d  of  February, 
(N.  s.)  A.D.  1732.  The  place  of  his  nativity  was  Pope's 
Creek,  Washington  parish,  Westmoreland  county,  Vir 
ginia. 

The  estate  on  which  he  was  born  had  been  in  possession 
of  his  family  for  about  seventy-five  years.  It  was  origi 
nally  settled  by  his  great-grandfather,  John  Washington, 
an  English  gentleman,  who  had  emigrated  from  the  north 

2 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

of  England,  somewhere  about  the  year  1655.  As  his  re 
moval  took  place  during  the  protectorate  of  Oliver  Crom 
well,  he  was  probably  one  of  those  who  preferred  liberty  in 
a  strange  land,  to  a  dishonourable  submission  at  home. 
He  is  believed  to  have  been  a  military  man  in  early  life. 
His  will,  now  at  Mount  Vernon,  has  the  following  endorse 
ment,  "  The  will  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Washington."  This 
document  also  bears  witness  to  an  ardent  piety  in  the  testa 
tor  ;  the  venerable  founder  of  his  family.  As  the  parish 
in  which  he  lived,  has  always  borne  his  name,  he  was 
probably  mainly  instrumental  in  its  establishment.  A 
slight  bequest  in  favour  of  the  church,  evinced  his  dying 
solicitude  for  the  decent  maintenance  of  those  services 
which  he  had  cherished  while  living.  After  his  arrival  and 
settlement  in  Westmoreland,  he  married  Miss  Pope, 
daughter  of  the  gentleman  from  whom  the  creek  on  which 
he  lived  took  its  name.  By  this  marriage  he  had  three 
children,  viz.  Lawrence,  John,  and  Ann.  To  Lawrence,  the 
oldest  son,  he  bequeathed  the  estate  on  which  he  lived — the 
Pope's  Creek  farm.  Augustine  Washington,  the  father 
of  George,  was  the  son  of  Lawrence,  and  born  in  the  year 
1694.  He  was  probably  the  oldest  son  of  his  father,  as  he 
inherited  the  patrimonial  estate  at  Pope's  Creek.  He  was 
twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Jane  Butler,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children,  viz.  Butler,  Lawrence,  Augustine 
and  Jane.  Of  these,  Butler  died  young,  and  Jane  the  17th 
of  January,  1735,  when  about  thirteen  years  of  age  ;  Law 
rence  and  Augustine  attained  to  manhood.  The  first  was 
born  in  the  year  1718.  The  second  wife  was  Mary  Ball, 
a  young  lady  of  highly  respectable  family,  in  the  northern 
neck  of  Virginia.  To  her  he  was  married  on  the  6th  of 
March,  1731,  being  himself  thirty-seven  years  of  age.  Of 
this  union  George  was  the  first  fruit.  He  was  the  oldest  ot 

*  The  date  of  the  will  is  Oct.  21,  1675. 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

six  children,  viz.  George,  Betty,  Samuel,  John  Augustine, 
Charles,  and  Mildred.  The  latter  died  when  sixteen 
months  old. 

It  was  about  the  year  1739  that  Mr.  Washington  remov 
ed  from  his  estate  in  Westmoreland,  to  a  farm  owned  by  him 
in  King  George  county,  (now  Stafford  county,)  on  the 
Rappahannock  river,  directly  opposite  to  Fredericksburg. 
This  change  of  residence  was  probably  induced  by  consi 
derations  of  health — the  Potomac  estate  being  sickly.  Pre 
vious  to  this  event,  George  had  been  sent  to  a  school  kept 
by  an  old  man  named  Hobby,  who  was  at  once  a  teacher 
and  sexton  of  Washington  parish.  By  this  old  man  was 
the  future  hero  and  statesman  taught  to  read.  During  this 
period  domestic  incidents  occurred,  embracing  the  religious 
instruction  of  George,  to  which  reference  will  be  made  in 
the  proper  place.  Between  him  and  his  father,  it  would 
seem  that  a  delightful  intercourse  always  subsisted  ;  it  be 
ing  a  matter  of  regret  to  the  latter  that  he  was  obliged  to 
be  separated  from  his  child,  even  during  the  hours  of  school. 
Mr.  Washington  survived  his  removal  from  Westmoreland 
but  a  few  years.  He  had  time  enough  allowed  him,  how 
ever,  to  mark  the  budding  virtues  of  his  son.  It  was  in  the 
Easter  holydays  that  Mr.  Washington  was  taken  sick. 
George  was  absent  at  the  time,  on  a  visit  to  some  of  his  ac 
quaintances*  in  Chotanct,  King  George  county.  He  was 
sent  for  after  his  father's  sickness  became  serious,  and 
reached  the  paternal  abode  in  time  to  witness  the  last  struggle 
and  receive  the  parting  benediction  of  his  beloved  parent. 

Lawrence  Washington,  the  eldest  son  by  the  first  wife, 
indulging  a  military  spirit,  joined  the  army,  a  little  after  he 

*  In  his  will,  General  Washington  made  the  following  bequests.  "  To 
the  acquaintances  and  friends  of  my  juvenile  years,  Lawrence  Washington 
and  Robert  Washington,  of  Chotanct,  I  give  my  other  two  gold-headed 
canes,  having  my  arms  engraved  en  them,"  &c. 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

became  of  age,  and  received  a  captain's  commission,  dated 
June  9th,  1740.  "  He  was  assigned  to  a  company  in  a 
regiment  to  be  raised  in  America,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Alexander  Spotswood,  designed  for  the  West  India 
service,  and  to  act  in  the  Spanish  war.  The  regiment  was 
transported  to  Jamaica  early  in  1741,  where  it  was  united 
with  the  British  forces  in  time  to  take  a  part  in  the  unsuc 
cessful  siege  of  Carthagena,  conducted  by  Admiral  Yernon 
and  General  Wentworth,  in  March,  of  that  year.  After  the 
failure  of  the  expedition,  the  fleet  sailed  back  to  Jamaica, 
where  the  land  forces  were  stationed,  except  during  a  few 
months  in  the  summer  season,  when,  for  reasons  not  known, 
they  were  taken  to  Cuba.  Captain  Washington  returned  to 
Virginia  near  the  close  of  the  year  1742,  having  been  absent 
about  two  years."*  In  a  few  months  after  his  return, 
his  father's  death  took  place.  He  died  at  his  house,  oppo 
site  to  Fredericksburg,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1743,  aged  49 
years.  As  the  eldest  son,  Lawrence  had  been  charged 
with  the  care  of  the  family  and  estate.  About  this  time  he 
married  Ann  Fairfax,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  William  Fairfax, 
and  relative  of  Lord  Fairfax.  Soon  after  which  event,  he 
settled  on  an  estate,  not  purchased  by  him,  as  has  been  said, 
but  bequeathed  him  by  his  father ;  and  called  by  himself 
Mount  Yernon,  in  honour  of  Admiral  Yernon.  While 
Lawrence  settled  at  Mount  Yernon, in  the  neighbourhood  of 
his  father-in-law,  his  brother  Augustine  took  possession  of 
the  family  estate  at  Pope's  Creek,  which  property  had  been 
also  bequeathed  him  by  his  father.  To  him  was  George 
sent  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Washington.  Here 
he  continued  about  three  years,  going  to  school  all  the  time 
to  a  Mr.  Williams  ;  a  plain,  but  respectable  teacher. 

During  this  period  he  was  taught  the  manual  exercise  by 
Adjutant  Muse,  a  Westmoreland  volunteer,  who  had  been 
*  J.  Sparks, 


INTRODUCTION.  Xvil 

in  the  West  India  service  with  his  brother  Lawrence.  He 
was  also  instructed  in  the  art  of  fencing,  by  Mons.  Van- 
braam,  who  afterwards  accompanied  him  to  Venango  as  his 
interpreter.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  residence  in  West 
moreland,  we  find  him  attempting  to  enter  the  naval  service 
of  Great  Britain.  In  September,  1746,  he  went  to  the 
county  of  Fairfax,  where  his  brother  Lawrence  resided. 
W^ith  the  consent  of  his  mother  a  midshipman's  warrant 
had  been  obtained  for  him  by  this  brother.  But  a  change 
of  mind,  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Washington,  had  suspended  his 
final  decision,  and  in  a  month  or  two  induced  him  entirely  to 
abandon  the  thought  of  going  to  sea.  He  did  not  again 
return  to  Westmoreland,  but  spent  his  time  at  Mount  Ver- 
non,  and  with  his  mother  near  Fredericksburg.  Here  he 
again  went  to  school,  and  continued  till  his  seventeenth 
year  ;  at  the  commencement  of  which,  viz.  in  March,  1748, 
he  engaged  as  a  surveyor  in  the  western  part  of  Virginia, 
associated  with  Mr.  George  Fairfax,  in  the  service  of  Lord 
Thomas  Fairfax.  In  this  laborious  office  he  continued 
about  three  years,  with  occasional  intervals  of  absence,  on 
visits  to  his  brother  at  Mount  Yernon,  and  to  his  mother. 
In  the  month  of  September,  1751,  if  not  before,  he  relin 
quished  the  occupation  of  surveyor,  for  the  purpose  of  ac 
companying  his  brother  Lawrence  to  the  West  Indies, 
whose  declining  health  rendered  such  a  trip  necessary. 
There  he  did  not  stay  long,  taking  the  small-pox  during  the 
time,  and  returning  to  Virginia  alone  in  February,  1752, 
Lawrence  remained  with  the  hope  of  deriving  benefit  to  his 
health,  but  failing  in  this  respect,  he  returned  home  the  fol 
lowing  summer  to  his  grave.  He  died  at  Mount  Vernon, 
July  26th,  1752.  George  was  at  Mount  Vernon  when  his 
brother  died,  and  immediately  took  charge  of  his  affairs. 
On  opening  the  will  of  the  deceased,  it  was  found  that  he 
9* 


XV111  INTRODUCTION. 

had  given  to  George  the  Mount  Vernon  estate,*  together 
with  some  valuable  lands  in  Berkley  county,  Virginia. 

A  short  time  before  this,  according  to  Judge  Marshall, 
George  had  been  appointed  by  the  governour  and  council, 
adjutant  to  the  northern  division  of  the  Virginia  militia,  with 
the  rank  of  major.  It  was  about  fifteen  months  from  the 
death  of  his  brother  that  he  received  the  appointment,  and 
engaged  in  his  first  public  duties  as  envoy  to  the  French 
commandant  on  the  Ohio.  The  colony  of  Virginia  having 
been  recently  divided  into  four  military  districts, his  appoint 
ment  of  adjutant-general  was  renewed  during  his  absence, 
and  the  northern  district  assigned  him.  In  his  visit  to  the 
Ohio  he  was  to  act  as  the  messenger  of  the  governour,|  to 
deliver  a  letter  to  the  French  commandant,  and  ascertain 
the  meaning  of  sundry  recent  hostile  movements  of  the 
French,  consisting  of  undue  encroachments  on  the  lands  of 
his  majesty,  the  king  of  England,  and  maltreating  subjects 
of  the  British  crown.  Being  commissioned  on  the  30th  of 
October,  1753,  he  set  out  the  same  day  on  his  arduous  and 
dangerous  enterprize.  Through  many  difficulties,  priva 
tions,  and  hazards,  did  he  persevere  in  the  fulfilment  of  his 
mission,  which  he  at  length  accomplished  to  the  perfect  sa 
tisfaction  of  the  authorities  by  whom  he  had  been  employed. 
After  many  risks  of  his  life,  with  much  suffering  from  cold 
and  fatigue,  he  returned  to  Williarnsburg,  with  the  answer 
of  the  French  commander,  and  an  account  of  his  own 
travels  and  proceedings,  on  the  16th  of  January,  1754,  hav 
ing  been  absent  about  six  weeks. 

Inconsequence  of  the  zeal,  fidelity  and  ability,  with  which 

*  Though  prompted  by  his  fraternal  affection  for  George,  in  giving  him 
Mount  Vernon,  yet  it  appears  from  an  inspection  of  the  will  of  the  father,  that 
a  desire  had  been  therein  expressed  that  Lawrence,  in  case  he  should  die 
without  issue,  would  give  that  property  to  George.  He  died  without  issue, 
it  is  believed,  and  obeyed  the  father's  wish. 

t  Dinwiddie. 


INTRODUCTION.  XIX 

Major  Washington  accomplished  the  objects  of  his  western 
tour,  he  was  appointed,  soon  after  his  return,  to  the  command 
of  two  companies,  of  one  hundred  men  each,  ordered  to  be 
raised  by  the  governour  and  council,  with  a  view  to  the  con 
struction  of  a  fort,  at  the  fork  of  the  Ohio,  as  a  means  of 
resisting  the  hostilities  of  the  French.  The  Virginia  assem 
bly,  however,  at  a  recent  sitting,  having  voted  ten  thousand 
pounds  for  this  service,  the  governour  was  induced  to  increase 
the  force  to  three  hundred  men,  divided  into  six  companies, 
the  command  of  the  whole  being  given  to  Colonel  Joshua 
Fry.  Major  Washington  was  .then  raised  to  the  rank  of 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  made  second  in  command,  an  ho 
nour  beyond  which  he  did  not  aspire,  and  with  which  he  ex 
pressed  himself  perfectly  satisfied. 

Having  been  stationed  at  Alexandria,  for  the  purpose  of 
filling  up  his  company,  Colonel  Washington  left  that  place 
on  the  2d  of  April,  and  arrived  at  Will's  Creek  on  the  20th, 
having  been  joined  on  the  route  by  a  detachment  under 
Captain  Stephen.  Colonel  Fry,  the  chief  in  command,  be 
ing  detained  by  bad  health,  Colonel  Washington  went  on 
from  his  quarters  at  Will's  Creek  toward  the  Great  Mea 
dows.  This  he  was  induced  to  do,  by  learning  that  the 
French,  in  great  numbers,  had  appeared  before  the  fort,  then 
in  an  unfinished  state,  at  the  fork  of  the  Ohio,  and  demand 
ed  its  surrender,  which  was  accordingly  complied  with  by 
Ensign  Ward,  who  had  been  left  there  by  Captain  Trent, 
with  a  handful  of  men.  Considering  the  frontiers  as  thus 
actually  invaded,  Colonel  Washington  regarded  it  as  his 
duty,  in  compliance  with  the  orders  given  him,  to  move  on 
ward,  prepared  to  meet  the  invading  army  wherever  it  should 
appear.  On  the  1st  of  May,  his  feeble  force,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  moved  from  Will's  Creek,  and 
entered  the  wilderness  by  slow  and  tedious  marches.  The 
friendly  Indians  brought  infrequent  reports  of  French  scouts 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

seen  in  the  woods,  and  on  the  24th  of  May,  the  half-king  sent 
message  to  Washington,  apprisinghim  that  a  French  force,  a 
in  what  numbers  he  could  not  tell,  was  on  its  march  to  at 
tack  the  English,  and  warning  him  to  be  on  his  guard. 
The  army  was  now  a  few  miles  beyond  the  Great  Meadows, 
and  on  receiving  this  intelligence,  Washington  hastened 
back  to  that  place,  and  at  once  engaged  his  men  in  throwing 
up  an  entrenchment,  determined  to  wait  the  approach  of  the 
enemy. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  Mr.  Gist  arrived  in 
camp,  and  informed  Colonel  Washington  that  M.  La  Force, 
a  French  officer,  had  been  at  his  plantation,  about  thirteen 
miles  off,  the  day  before ;  and  that  on  his  way  he  had  seen 
the  tracks  of  the  same  party  five  miles  from  the  encamp 
ment. 

Washington,  suspecting  a  design  to  surprise  him,  imme 
diately  made  provision  for  finding  out,  and  attacking  this 
roving  detachment  of  the  enemy.  In  this  he  succeeded  on 
the  morning  of  the  28th.  In  connexion  with  a  few  friendly 
Indians,  he  surprised  the  French  in  their  hiding  place,  and 
after  an  action  of  about  fifteen  minutes,  subdued  them,  kill 
ing  some,  and  capturing  the  rest.  Among  the  killed  was 
the  commander,  M.  Jumonville.  This  was  the  first  battle 
in  which  Washington  had  ever  been  engaged. 

A  few  days  after  this  action,  viz  :  on  the  31st  of  May, 
Colonel  Fry  died  at  Will's  Creek.  Governour  Dinwiddie 
was  now  in  Winchester.  Colonel  Innis,  from  North 
Carolina,  had  recently  arrived  in  that  town  with  350  troops. 
Soon  after  the  death  of  Colonel  Fry,  the  governour  appoint 
ed  Innis  to  the  chief  command  of  all  the  forces  destined 
fur  the  Ohio.  Colonel  Washington  was  promoted  to  the 
command  of  the  Virginia  regiment.  Neither  Colonel 
Innis  nor  his  troops  ever  joined  Colonel  Washington,  or 
rendered  him  any  aid.  He  was  joined  by  a  Captain 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

Mackay,  with  an  independent  company  from  South  Caroli 
na,  who  were  of  little  service,  as  they  stood  very  much 
upon  their  rights  as  the  king's  soldiers,  claiming  an  exemp 
tion  from  many  duties  on  that  account.  Leaving  this  offi 
cer  and  his  company  at  the  Great  Meadows,  Colonel 
Washington  marched  forward  with  the  Virginia  regiment. 
He  soon  learned,  however,  the  extent  of  the  French  force, 
and  though  Captain  Mackay  overtook  him,  a  retreat  was 
thought  expedient.  They  reached  the  Great  Meadows  on 
the  1st  of  July,  when  Colonel  Washington,  finding  his  men 
too  much  fatigued  to  go  any  further,  determined  to  in 
crease  the  strength  of  the  fortifications,  and  await  the 
movements  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  early  in  the  morning,  an  alarm  was 
received  from  a  sentinel,  who  had  been  wounded  by  the 
enemy  ;  and  at  nine  o'clock,  intelligence  came  that  their 
whole  body,  amounting,  as  was  reported,  to  900  men,  were 
only  four  miles  off.  The  action  soon  commenced.  It  con 
tinued  from  eleven  A.  M.,  to  eight  o'clock  at  night,  when  the 
French  commander  requested  a  parley.  The  proposal 
issued  in  the  capitulation  of  Washington,  and  his  return 
with  the  troops  to  Will's  Creek.  Thence,  with  Captain 
Mackay  he  proceeded  to  Williamsburgh,  and  communicated, 
in  person,  the  results  of  the  expedition. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  dissatisfaction  expressed  in 
regard  to  some  of  the  articles  of  capitulation,  when  they 
became  public.  The  house  of  burgesses,  however,  met 
in  August,  and  requested  the  governour  to  lay  before  them 
a  copy  of  the  capitulation.  This  being  done,  upon  a  due 
consideration  of  the  subject,  they  passed  a  vote  of  thanks 
to  Colonel  Washington,  and  his  officers,  for  their  bravery 
and  gallant  defence  of  the  country.  Indeed,  all  the  pro 
ceedings  of  the  campaign  were  not  only  approved,  but 
applauded  by  the  government  and  the  public  generally. 


XX11  INTRODUCTION. 

Soon  after  Colonel  Washington's  return  from  this  expe 
dition,  the  governour  and  council  resolved  on  renewing  the 
contest,  in  which  they  had  been  so  lately  foiled.  There 
was,however,a  difference  between  the  governour  and  house 
of  burgesses,  which  prevented  an  appropriation  of  money 
at  this  juncture.  When  Washington  was  informed  of  the 
plans  of  the  governour  and  council,  to  engage  in  another 
enterprize  against  the  French,  without  delay,  he  expostu 
lated  so  warmly  against  the  folly  of  such  an  attempt  being 
made  without  money,  men,  or  provisions,  that  the  scheme 
was  readily  abandoned. 

When  the  assembly  met  in  October,  they  granted  twenty 
thousand  pounds  for  the  public  exigencies,  and  the 
governour  received  from  England,  ten  thousand  pounds  in 
specie,  with  the  promise  of  as  much  more,  and  two  thou 
sand  fire-arms.  Thereupon  he  resolved  to  enlarge  the 
army  to  ten  companies,  of  one  hundred  men  each,  and  to 
reduce  them  all  to  independent  companies,  by  which  means 
there  would  be  no  officer  in  the  Virginia  regiment  above 
the  rank  of  a  captain.  In  consequence  of  this  singular 
arrangement,  Colonel  Washington  retired  from  the  army, 
as  he  would  not  accept  a  lower  commission  than  the  one 
he  had  held,  and  in  which  he  had  exhibited  a  rare  example 
of  bravery  and  good  conduct. 

From  this  time,  October  1754,  he  remained  on  his  farm 
engaged  in  the  pursuits  of  agriculture ;  for  which  he  ever 
had  a  strong  predilection.  It  was  not  long,  however,  that 
a  man  of  such  decided  military  talents  could  be  suffered  to 
remain  inactive,  when  the  cloud  of  war  was  impending.  On 
the  20th  of  February,  1755,  General  Braddock  arrived  in 
Virginia,  as  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  military  forces 
of  North  America.  He  had  heard  of  Colonel  Washington 
as  a  man  of  worth,  and  finding  that  he  had  resigned  his 
commission,  when  his  command  was  reduced,  commended 


INTRODUCTION.  XXili 

the  military  spirit  of  the  youthful  soldier,  and,  to  remove  all 
difficulty  on  that  score,  he  offered  him  a  place  in  his  family, 
as  volunteer  aid-de-camp.  By  this  arrangement,  ex 
cluding  all  question  of  rank,  every  objection  on  the  part  of 
Washington  being  effectually  obviated,  he  freely  accepted 
the  offer. 

On  the  20th  of  April  General  Braddock  marched  from 
Alexandria,  where  his  troops  had  first  landed.  Colonel 
Washington,  detained  by  his  private  concerns,  did  not  leave 
Mount  Vernon  till  the  23d.  He  joined  the  army  in  a  few 
days  at  Fredericktown,  Maryland.  From  hence  they  pur 
sued  their  way  into  the  wilderness.  On  the  14th  of  June 
he  was  taken  sick  with  a  violent  fever  in  the  Alleghany 
mountain.  The  army  proceeded  without  him,  the  violence 
of  his  disease  rendering  it  impossible  for  him  to  travel. 
He  was,  however,  convalescent  in  a  few  weeks,  and  so  far 
recovered  as  to  bear  his  part  in  the  memorable  battle  of  the 
Monongahela.  This  fatal  event  occurred  on  Wednesday, 
the  9th  of  July.  Colonel  Washington  had  only  joined  the 
army  the  day  before :  he  was  weak  and  feeble  from  the 
effects  of  his  late  sickness  ;  yet  did  he  nobly  fulfil  his  duty 
that  day.  While  death  was  strewing  the  plain  with  its  ago 
nized  victims,  he  conducted  himself  with  the  greatest  cour 
age  and  resolution.  General  Braddock,  with  almost  every 
officer  of  distinction,  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  troops, 
were  either  killed  or  wounded.  Washington  alone  abided 
unhurt  the  horrors  of  that  dreadful  conflict.  When  Brad- 
dock  himself  fell,  the  wretched  remnant  of  his  blasted  army 
was  conducted  by  Washington  to  a  place  of  safe  retreat. 
The  general  was  also  carried  off  by  his  assistance,  but  died 
of  his  wounds  a  few  days  after  the  battle.  He  was  buried 
at  night,  in  the  road,  near  Fort  Necessity,  at  the  Great 
Meadows. 

This  disaster,  of  which  a  sanguine  public  had  not  enter- 


XXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

tained  the  most  distant  apprehension,  came  upon  the  whole 
country  like  the  shock  of  an  earthquake.  And  yet  Colonel 
Washington  lost  no  ground  in  the  confidence  of  his  country 
men.  The  belief  was  general,  that  if  he  had  been  com 
mander  the  calamity  would  not  have  occurred.  By  his 
brilliant  behaviour  during  the  action,  and  his  skill  in  direct 
ing  the  retreat,  he  acquired  increased  reputation  and  esteem 
with  the  public. 

In  proof  of  this  undiminished  confidence  he  was  immedi 
ately  advanced  to  the  chief  command  of  the  Virginia  forces. 
The  assembly  voted  forty  thousand  pounds  for  the  public 
service,  and  the  governour  and  council  immediately  resolved 
to  increase  the  Virginia  regiment  to  sixteen  companies.  Of 
this  regiment  Colonel  Washington  was  appointed  command- 
er-in-chief.  His  commission  was  dated  on  the  14th  of  Au 
gust.  Permission  was  given  him  to  appoint  his  own  offi 
cers,  together  with  an  aid-de-camp  and  secretary. 

Thus  cordially  sustained,  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
his  command  with  that  energy  and  resolution  for  which  he 
had  been  distinguished  in  all  his  enterprizes.  For  these,  in 
deed,  there  was  abundant  occasion  in  that  irregular  and  pro 
tracted  warfare  which  grew  out  of  the  peculiar  policy  of  the 
French,  and  habits  of  the  Indians.  It  now  became  his  duty 
to  defend  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles  of  frontier,  against 
the  incursions  of  a  blood-thirsty  and  unrelenting  foe.  Win 
chester  was  made  the  head  quarters  of  the  army,  and  the 
valley  of  the  Shannondoah,  in  wrhich  that  town  was  situat 
ed,  being  thinly  settled  by  inhabitants,  was  the  frequent 
scene  of  the  most  dreadful  depredations,  and  inhuman  mur 
ders.  Hordes  of  savages  and  Frenchmen  were  continually 
hovering,  like  birds  of  prey,  over  that  defenceless  country, 
for  the  protection  of  which  an  undisciplined  and  incompe 
tent  force,  as  it  appeared,  had  been  assigned  the  youthful 
commander.  For  three  tedious  and  anxious  years  did 


INTRODUCTION.  XXV 

Washington  maintain  the  unequal  and  harassing  strife. 
The  governour,  jealous,  as  it  was  thought,  of  his  rising  popu 
larity,  extended  to  him  a  tardy  and  reluctant  support.  He 
was  refused  an  adequate  provision  in  men  and  money  when 
they  were  absolutely  necessary,  and  yet  cen-ured  for  disas 
ters  which  no  human  power,  under  such  circumstances, 
could  avert.  He  continued,  notwithstanding,  amidst  the 
most  trying  and  perplexing  scenes,  to  do  all  that  could  be 
done,  both  with  his  sword  and  his  pen.  He  repelled  the 
foe  with  the  one,  and  expostulated  with  the  other,  where 
there  was  any  hope  of  success.  He  was  untiring  in  his  ef 
forts  to  defend  a  deserted  and  afflicted  people,  who  looked 
up  to  him  with  tears  and  entreaties  for  protection  ;  while,  in 
tones  of  manly  remonstrance,  he  represented  to  the  govern 
ment  the  insufficiency  of  the  means  allowed  him  for  a  work 
so  arduous  and  trying. 

At  length,  the  great  object  of  his  hopes  and  desires  was 
accomplished,  in  the  expulsion  of  the  enemy  from  Fort 
Duquesne.  The  design,  which  the  British  government  had 
formed,  of  carrying  the  war  into  Canada,  being  known  to 
the  French  governour  in  that  country,  the  greater  part  of  thoir 
troops  were  recalled  from  the  Ohio.  About  five  hundred 
men  had  been  left  for  the  defence  of  the  French  possessions. 
These  soon  yielded  to  the  British  troops,  under  General 
Forbes.  It  was  on  the  25th  of  November,  1758,  that  his 
majesty's  forces  took  possession  of  Fort  Duquesne — now 
Pittsburg.  The  French  had  previously  set  fire  to  the  fort, 
and  passed  down  the  Ohio.  The  war  was  transferred  to 
Canada,  and  Virginia  was  permitted  to  rest  for  a  seasonf 
exchanging  the  hazards  and  ravages  of  war  for  the  tranquil 
lity  and  improvements  of  peace. 

Colonel  Washington  now  determined  to  retire  from  the 
army,  and  seek,  in  the  repose  and  relaxation  of  home,  the 

3 


XXVl  INTRODUCTION. 

restoration  of  his  injured  health,  and  the  improvement  of 
of  his  private  affairs,  which  had  suffered  much  by  his  long 
absence. 

His  word  and  affections  were  also  pledged  at  this  time  to 
that  excellent  female  who  in  a  short  time  became  his  devoted 
wife.  He  had  been  thus  engaged  since  the  preceding  spring. 
This  fact,  not  generally  known,  is  unimportant,  except  as 
serving  to  enhance  the  value  of  those  hazards  and  privations 
encountered  by  him  in  the  cause  of  his  country,  and  from 
which  he  could  not  be  seduced  by  the  charms  of  one  so 
tenderly  beloved. 

In  the  month  of  May,  of  this  year,  he  visited  Williamsburg, 
on  pressing  business,  under  the  direction  of  Sir  John   St. 
Clair.*     Itwas  at  this  time  that  the  following  circumstances 
occurred,  as  related  in  a  recent  publication  by  the  grandson 
of  Mrs.  Washington.     "It  was  in  1758,  that  an  officer,  at 
tired  in  a  military  undress,  and  attended   by  a  body  ser 
vant,  tall  and  militaire  as  his  chief,  crossed  the  ferry  called 
Williams',  over  the  Pamunkey,  a  branch  of  the  York  river. 
On  the  boat  touching  the  southern,  or  New  Kent  side,  the 
soldier's  progress  was  arrested  by  one  of  those  personages, 
who  give  the  beau  ideal  of  the  Virginia  gentleman  of  the 
old  regime,  the  very  soul  of  kindliness  and  hospitality.     It 
was  in  vain  the  soldier  urged  his  business  at  Williamsburg, 
important   communications  to   the   governour,   &c.      Mr. 
Chamberlayne,   on  whose  domain   the   militaire  had  just 
landed,  would  take  no  excuse."     It  was  now,  in  accepting 
an  invitation  to  dine,  that  Colonel  Washington  became  ac 
quainted  with  Mrs.  Custis,  who  was  a  guest  that  day  at  the 
mansion  of  Mr.  Chamberlayne.     Having  seen  her  again  on 
his  return  from  Williamsburg  at  her  own  house  in  New 

*  See  his  letter  to  the   president  of  the  council,  dated  May  28th,  1758 
u  contained  in  2d.  vol.  of  his  "  Writings."  p.  285  j  published  by  J.  Sparks.    ' 


INTRODUCTION.  IXV11 

Kent,  he  pursued  his  way  to  the  post  of  duty,  at  head 
quarters,  in  Winchester.  Passing  through  the  toils  and 
dangers  of  the  following  campaign,  which  terminted  onthe 
25th  of  November,  we  find  him  again  in  Williamsburg, 
with  a  view  to  a  final  settlement  of  his  accounts  with  the 
government  on  the  30th  of  December.  He  was  married 
in  about  a  week  from  this  time,  viz.  on  the  6th  of  January, 
1759, — the  marriage  ceremony  being  preformed  at  the 
White  House,  New  Kent  county,  the  residence  of  Mrs. 
Custis,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mossom,  rector  of  St.  Peter's 
church,  New  Kent. 

During  the  previous  summer,  having  determined  to  resign 
his  commission  at  the  close  of  the  campaign,  Colonel 
Washington  had  proposed  himself  to  the  electors  of  Fred 
erick  county  as  a  candidate  for  the  house  of  burgesses. 
Though  detained  from  the  hustings  by  the  duties  of  his 
command,  he  was  elected  by  a  large  majority  over  three 
active  rival  candidates.  The  assembly  was  convened  by 
prorogation,  in  the  month  of  February,  when  he  joined  the 
body  as  the  member  from  Frederick.  It  was  on  this  oc 
casion  that  the  following  incident  occurred,  as  related  by 
Mr.  Wirt,  in  his  "Life  of  Patrick  Henry,"*  on  the  authority 
of  Edmund  Randolph.  It  had  been  resolved,  when  it  was 
known  that  Colonel  Washington  would  be  a  member,  that 
the  thanks  of  the  house  should  be  returned  to  him,  in-  a 
public  manner,  for  his  distinguished  services  to  his  country ; 
and  the  duty  devolved  upon  Mr.  Robinson,  the  speaker. 

"  As  soon  as  Colonel  Washington  took  his  seat,"  says 
Mr.  Wirt,  "  Mr.  Robinson,  in  obedience  to  this  order,  and 
following  the  impulse  of  his  own  generous  and  grateful 
heart,  discharged  the  duty  with  great  dignity ;  but  with  such 
warmth  of  colouring,  and  strength  of  expression,  as  entirely 

*  Page  45. 


XXV111  INTRODUCTION. 

confounded  the  young  hero.  He  rose  to  express  his  ac 
knowledgements  for  the  honour,  but  such  was  his  trepida 
tion  and  confusion,  that  he  could  not  give  distinct  utterance 
to  a  single  syllable.  He  blushed,  stammered,  and  trembled, 
for  a  second  ;  when  the  speaker  relieved  him,  by  a  stroke  of 
address  that  would  have  done  honour  to  Louis  the  XIV.  in 
his  proudest  and  happiest  moment.  "  Sit  down  Mr.  Wash 
ington,"  said  he,  with  a  conciliating  smile  ;  "•  your  modesty 
is  equal  to  your  valour  ;  and  that  surpasses  the  power  of 
any  language  that  I  possess." 

Colonel  Washington  remained  in  Williamsburg  during  the 
session  of  the  assembly,  after  which  he  repaired,  with  Mrs. 
Washington,  to  his  residence  at  Mount  Vernon.  Here  was 
he  allowed  the  repose  of  peace,  and  the  pleasure  of  his 
favourite  agricultural  occupations,  for  the  space  of  sixteen 
years,  mingling,  however,  with  them  those  civil  and  religi 
ous  pursuits,  which  became  him  as  a  patriot  and  a  Christian. 
He  was  a  magistrate  of  the  county,  and  a  frequent  member 
of  the  house  of  burgesses,  as  well  as  of  the  first  and  second 
continental  congress.  He  was  also  a  fast  friend  of  the 
church,  in  the  parish  where  he  lived,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  advance  the  interests  of  morality  and  religion,  through 
her  consecrated  instrumentality. 

We  here  conclude  our  hasty  narrative,  because  no  longer 
necessary  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  following  work. 
There  is  so  much  greater  notoriety  attaching  to  the  suc 
ceeding  years  of  his  life,  than  to  those  which  preceded 
them,  that  it  will  be  easy  for  the  reader  of  ordinary  informa 
tion,  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  facts  and  incidents, 
insulated  as  they  may  be,  which  it  will  be  our  business  to  se 
lect  and  record,  in  the  course  of  the  following  investigation. 


THE 

RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND  CHARACTER 

O  F 

WASHIN  GT  O  N. 


CHAPTER   I. 

RELIGIOUS    EDUCATION   OF    WASHINGTON. 

THE  advantages  of  early  religious  instruction,  imparted 
with  due  affection  and  skill,  have  long  since  been  decid 
ed  by  the  testimony  of  human  experience,  as  well  as  by 
the  voice  of  divine  revelation.  So  well  established  is  the 
principle,  that  the  character  of  the  man  may  in  general 
be  safely  inferred  from  the  moral  discipline  of  the  youth. 
The  consent  and  approval  of  mankind,  has  in  one  sense 
consecrated  the  familiar  adage : — 

"  Just  as  the  twig  is  bent,  the  tree  's  inclined  ;" 

And  the  Wise  Man  declares  the  same  in  substance,  when 
he  says,  "  Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go, 
and  when  he  is  old,  he  will  not  depart  from  it." 

"  It  is  true,  indeed,"  says  one,*  "  that  our  first  years 

*  Rev.  J.  W.  Cunningham,  A.  M. 

3* 


30  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

seldom  supply  that  sober  ear,  which  the  lessons  of  religion 
demand ;  but  then  every  avenue  to  the  heart  is  open ; 
and  whatever  spirit  is  introduced  into  the  system,  often 
lives,  though  latent,  and  animates  the  frame  forever. 
Early  piety  may  sometimes  languish,  but  then  it  is  often 
but  for  a  season,  as  rivers  sometimes  suddenly  disappear, 
but  as  often  rise  again  in  a  distant  spot,  with  brighter 
waves  and  increased  rapidity. — Early  scholars  in  reli 
gion  are  the  best,  for  they  have  less  to  unlearn.  Indeed, 
it  is  rare  to  see  the  gray  hairs  of  Devotion  silver  the  head 
which  was  not  early  taught  of  Heaven." 

A  striking  confirmation  of  the  doctrine  in  question  ap 
pears  to  be  furnished  by  the  life  and  character  of  Wash 
ington.  Of  this,  however,  we  must  leave  our  readers  to 
form  their  own  judgment,  when  the  evidences  of  his  re 
ligious  education  shall  have  been  laid  before  them. 
There '  is  reason,  indeed,  to  regret  that  the  amount  of 
positive  knowledge  on  this  subject  is  not  so  ample  as 
could  have  been  desired.  And  yet  there  are  some  things 
known  to  us,  which  afford  very  strong  presumptive  tes 
timony,  while  a  few  scattered  examples  of  parental 
care  have  been  given,  which  enable  us  to  conclude,  with 
considerable  certainty,  in  regard  to  the  general  course  of 
moral  and  spiritual  instruction  pursued  in  his  case. 

The  record  of  his  early  reception  into  the  Christian 
church,  by  the  sacred  rite  of  baptism,  has  been  copied 
from  the  family  Bible.  It  is  here  submitted,  not  only  as 
an  article  of  some  interest  in  itself,  but  as  serving  to  in 
troduce  reflections  which  may  shed  a  little  light  upon 
our  subject. 

"  George  Washington,  Son  to  Augustine  and  Mary  his 
Wife,  was  born  the  llth  day  of  Febuary,  1731-2  about 


CHARACTER     OF    WASHINGTON.  31 

10  in  the  morning,  and  was  baptized  the  5th  of  April 
following — Mr.  Beverly  Whiting  and  Captain  Christopher 
Brooks,  Godfathers,  and  Mrs.  Mildred  Gregory,  God 
mother." 

The  parents  of  Washington,  as  the  reader  will  no 
doubt  understand,  were  members  of  the  Church  of  Eng 
land  ;  which  was  almost  the  only  denomination  of  Chris 
tians  then  known  in  the  colony  of  Virginia.  And  in  the 
matter  before  us,  the  baptism  of  their  child,  and  the  ac 
companying  sponsorial  provision,  they  acted,  it  would 
seem,  in  precise  and  scrupulous  conformity  with  the 
rules  of  that  ancient  Church. 

In  the  absence  of  accurate  information,  as  before  inti 
mated,  there  is  very  good  ground  of  belief  that  the  course 
subsequently  pursued  by  the  parents,  was  according  to 
the  good  beginning  here  made.  The  vows  of  those  who 
devoted  their  offspring  to  God  in  holy  baptism,  as  admin 
istered  by  the  Church  of  England,  were  very  solemn,  and 
the  age  distinguished  by  a  rigid  punctuality  respecting 
the  duties  enjoined  by  those  vows.  The  solemnity  of 
the  engagements  incurred,  may  be  more  clearly  perceiv 
ed,  and  fully  understood  from  the  emphatic  terms  of  the 
following  exhortation,  always  delivered  in  the  conclusion 
of  the  service,  by  the  officiating  minister  : — 

11  Forasmuch  as  this  child  hath  promised,  by  you,  his 
Sureties,  to  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works,  to  be 
lieve  in  God,  and  to  serve  him  ;  ye  must  remember,  that 
it  is  your  parts  and  duties  to  see  that  this  infant  be  taught, 
so  soon  as  he  shall  be  able  to  learn,  what  a  solemn  vow, 
promise  and  profession,  he  hath  here  made  by  you.  And 
that  he  may  know  these  things  the  better,  ye  shall  call 
upon  him  to  hear  Sermons  ;  and  chiefly  ye  shall  provide, 


32  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

that  he  may  learn  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the 
Ten  Commandments,  and  all  other  things  which  a  Chris 
tian  ought  to  know,  and  believe  to  his  soul's  health ;  and 
that  this  Child  may  be  virtuously  brought  up,  to  lead 
a  godly  and  a  Christian  life — remembering  always 
that  Baptism  doth  represent  unto  us  our  profession  ; 
which  is,  to  follow  the  example  of  our  Saviour  Christ} 
and  to  be  made  like  unto  him,  that  as  he  died  and  rose 
again  for  us,  so  should  we,  who  are  baptized,  die  from 
em,  and  rise  again  unto  righteousness  ;  continually  mor 
tifying  all  our  evil,  and  corrupt  affections,  and  daily  pro 
ceeding  in  all  virtue  and  godliness  of  living." 

These  peculiarities  are  referred  to,  solely  for  the  pur 
pose  of  exhibiting  the  nature  of  the  obligations  incurred, 
equally  by  the  sponsors  and  parents  of  Washington,  in 
the  religious  observance  under  consideration — obligations 
which  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  they  conscien 
tiously  fulfilled.  Their  exact  conformity  with  the  regula 
tion  of  the  church  in  the  original  instance,  seems  to 
authorize  the  conclusion,  that  they  subsequently  acted 
with  the  same  scrupulous  regard  to  engagements,  bound 
upon  them  by  the  solemn  sanctions  of  religion,  and  en 
forced  by  motives  drawn  from  the  hopes  and  fears  of 
another  world. 

We  shall  here  introduce  a  few  biographical  incidents, 
as  not  unworthy  the  attention  of  our  readers.  They 
may  be  quoted,  as  serving,  in  some  degree,  to  aid  our 
inquiries,  and  confirm  our  impressions  of  parental  fidelity 
in  the  case  before  us.  Nor  let  any  complain  of  them,  as 
unimportant  and  trifling.  Life  is  very  much  made  up  of 
small  things,  and  it  is  often  to  them  we  must  look  for  the 
development  and  proof  of  principles.  What  these  little 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  33 

domestic  occurrences  shall  be  found  to  want  in  historical 
dignity,  we  think  they  will  make  up  in  real  worth  and 
useful  intimations.  Their  employment  may  at  least 
contribute  to  the  amusement  and  edification  of  our  juve 
nile  readers,  and,  perhaps,  not  be  deficient  in  salutary 
suggestions  to  older  persons  entrusted  with  the  instruc 
tion  and  government  of  the  young. 

The  following  account  rests  on  the  testimony  of  a 
venerable  lady,  now  deceased,  who,  as  a  friend  and  rela 
tive,  spent  many  of  her  youthful  days  in  the  family  of 
Mr.  "Washington. 

"  On  a  fine  morning  in  the  fall  of  1737,  Mr.  Washing 
ton,  having  George  by  the  hand,  came  to  the  door,  and 
asked  cousin  Washington  and  myself  to  walk  with  him 
to  the  orchard,  promising  to  show  us  a  fine  sight.  On 
arriving  at  the  orchard,  we  were  presented  with  a  fine 
sight,  indeed.  The  whole  earth,  as  far  as  we  could  see, 
was  strewed  with  fruit ;  and  yet  the  trees  wrere  bending 
under  the  weight  of  apples.  <  Now,  George,'  said  his 
father,  '  look  here,  my  son  !  Uo  n't  you  remember,  when 
this  good  cousin  of  yours  brought  you  that  fine,  large 
apple  last  spring,  how  hardly  I  could  prevail  on  you  to 
divide  with  your  brothers  and  sisters,  though  I  promised 
that  if  you  would  but  do  it,  the  Almighty  would  give  you 
a  plenty  of  apples  this  fall  ? '  Poor  George  could  not 
say  a  word  ;  but.  hanging  down  his  head,  looked  quite 
confused.  'Now,  look  up,  my  son,' continued  his  father, 
'  and  see  how  richly  the  Almighty  has  made  good  my 
promise  to  you  ! '  George  looked,  in  silence,  on  the  wide 
wilderness  of  fruit ;  then,  lifting  his  eyes  to  his  father,  he 
said,  with  emotion,  '  Well,  pa,  only  forgive  me  this  time, 
and  see  if  I  am  ever  so  stingy  any  more.' " 


34  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

Mr.  Washington,  it  would  seem,  earnestly  addressed 
himself  to  the  work  of  inspiring  his  son  with  an  early 
love  of  truth.  On  this  subject  he  often  spoke  to  him, 
commending  the  virtue  as  one  of  pre-eminent  value  and 
excellence.  Of  the  efficacy  of  his  instructions  the  follow 
ing  incident  may  afford  some  illustration.  The  narrative 
rests  upon  the  authority  of  the  excellent  lady  before 
mentioned. 

"  When  George  was  about  six  years  old,  he  became 
the  happy  owner  of  a  hatchet,  of  which,  like  most  little 
boys,  he  was  immoderately  fond,  and  was  constantly 
going  about,  chopping  every  thing  that  came  in  his  way- 
One  day,  in  the  garden,  where  he  often  amused  himself, 
he  unluckily  tried  the  edge  of  his  hatchet  on  the  body 
of  a  beautiful  young  English  cherry-tree,  which  he 
barked  so  terribly  that  I  believe  the  tree  never  got  the 
better  of  it.  The  next  morning,  the  old  gentleman,  find 
ing  out  what  had  befallen  his  tree — which,  by-the-by, 
was  a  great  favourite  with  him — came  into  the  house, 
and,  with  much  warmth,  asked  for  the  mischievous  au 
thor — declaring,  at  the  same  time,  that  he  would  not 
have  iaken  five  guineas  for  his  tree.  Nobody  could 
tell  him  any  thing  about  it.  Presently  George  and 
his  hatchet  made  their  appearance.  'George,'  said 
his  father,  '  do  you  know  who  killed  that  beautiful  little 
cherry-tree  yonder  in  the  garden  'I '  George  was  taken 
by  surprise,  and  for  a  moment  staggered  under  the 
question  ;  but  he  quickly  recovered  himself,  and,  looking 
at  his  father,  he  said,  '  I  can't  tell  a  lie,  pa — I  cut  it,  with 
my  hatchet.'  The  delighted  father  embraced  his  child, 
saying,  *  Glad  am  I,  George,  that  you  killed  the  tree,  for 
you  have  paid  me  for  it  a  thousand-fold  !  Such  an  act 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  33 

of  heroism,  my  son,  is  worth  a  thousand  such  trees  as 
the  one  destroyed.'  "* 

It  was  not,  however,  forgotten  by  Mr.  Washington, 
while  instructing  his  son  in  the  obligations  of  morality, 
that "  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  knowledge," 
and  the  only  effectual  source  of  real  virtue  and  goodness. 
To  give  his  son  this  knowledge,  and  inspire  him  with 
this  fear,  as  far  as  human  agency  could  effect  it,  was 
accordingly  a  cherished  aim  with  this  considerate  parent. 
To  accomplish  his  pious  object  by  an  impression  that 
would  be  deep  and  enduring,  he  adopted  the  following 
expedient. 

On  a  properly  prepared  bed  in  his  garden,  he  traced, 
with  a  stick,  the  letters  of  his  son's  name  ;  and,  sowing 
seed  in  them,  he  covered  the  same  over,  and  smoothed 
the  ground  nicely  with  a  roller.  In  a  short  time  the 
usual  progress  of  vegetation  brought  up  the  plants,  and 
displayed,  in  prominent  and  legible  characters,  the  words, 
GEORGE  WASHINGTON.  It  was  not  many  days  before 
the  vegetable  wonder  caught  the  eye  for  which  it  wag 
intended.  Again  and  again  did  the  astonished  boy 
read  his  name,  springing  up  from  the  earth  in  letters 
fresh  and  green.  But  soon  he  turned  with  eager  steps 
to  seek  his  beloved  father,  and  tell  him  of  the  sight  he 
had  seen.  The  conscious  father  hastened  with  him  to 
the  spot,  and  listened  for  a  time  to  the  expression  of  his 
childish  admiration  and  perplexity.  It  was  in  vain  that 
he  sought  for  a  cause  of  the  phenomenon.  He  could  not 

*  This  and  the  preceding  occurrence  were  communicated  to  Rev. 
Mr.  Weems,  for  a  short  time  rector  of  Mount  Vernon  parish,  after  the 
death  of  Washington. 


36  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

be  satisfied  until  his  father  revealed  his  own  agency.  He 
had  made  the  letters  with  his  stick,  and  had  sowed  the 
seed  in  the  furrows ;   and  the  warm  earth  had  caused 
them  to  spring  up.     And  now  he  availed  himself  of  the 
propitious  occasion  to  direct  the  excited  faculties  of  his 
child  toward  the  contemplation  of  that  Infinite  Intelli 
gence  whence  all  things  had  proceeded.     He  showed  the 
necessary  existence  of  God,  from  the  works  of  nature — 
from  the  manifest  traces  of  design,  contrivance,  and  wise 
adjustment,  every  where  discernable  in  the  various  pro 
ductions  of  his  Almighty  hand.     The  moment  was  emi 
nently  auspicious.     The  mind  could  not  have  been  more 
impressible,  or  open  to  salutary  instruction,  under  any 
ordinary  influence.     Such  a  demonstration  as  that  pre 
sented  to  the  eye,  was  eminently  calculated  to  stimulate 
reflection,   enlighten   the   mind,   and  rivet   conviction. 
Here,  in  the  name  inscribed  on  the  earth,  was  an  effect ; 
for  this  there  must  have  been  a  cause  ;  and  an  intelligent 
cause  must  be  inferred  from  the  design  manifest  in  the 
work.     If  such  a  conclusion  was  authorized,  yea,  com 
pelled,  by  the  present  instance  of  intelligent  contrivance, 
how  much  more  might  it  be  inferred  that  "  the  Lord  by 
wisdom  hath  founded  the  earth,  and  by  understanding 
established  the  heavens!"     What  varied  and  cogent 
proof  of  infinite  wisdom  as  well  as  power  could  be  pointed 
out  in  the  wonderful  formation  of  the  globe,  and  in  the 
yet  more  wonderful  structure  of  the  human  frame  !     In 
the  due  illustration  and  explanation  of  these  things,  ad 
dressed  in  the  liquid  tones  of  parental  affection,  was  Mr. 
Washington,  perhaps,  instrumental  in  making  those  im 
pressions,  which,  growing  with  his  growth,  and  strength 
ening  with  his  strength,  constituted,  under  a  higher 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  37 

influence,  the  germ  of  those  reverential  and  devout  feel 
ings  towardsthe  Deity,  which  ever  after  so  signally  marked 
the  character  and  conduct  of  the  Father  of  his  Country. 

Thus  happily  and  profitably  to  young  Washington, 
rolled  on  the  days  of  his  early  age.  But  not  many  years, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  were  allotted  as  the  term  of  this 
pleasant  intercourse  between  the  father  and  his  beloved 
child.  George  had  just  concluded  his  eleventh  year 
when  his  father  was  removed  by  the  hand  of  death. 

From  this  time,  the  care  of  her  first-born,  devolved  en 
tirely  on  Mrs.  Washington.  She  had  always  no  doubt 
united  with  her  excellent  husband  in  the  sacred  duty  of 
parental  instruction,  endeavouring  to  "  bring  up  her  chil 
dren  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord."  But 
now  the  whole  burden  falls  upon  her, — and  if  success  is 
made  the  test  of  fidelity  and  fitness  for  the  delicate  office, 
surely  it  is  not  an  humble  degree  of  either,  that  will  be 
ascribed  to  her  by  posterity.  Of  her  high  estimate  of 
virtue  at  least,  and  of  the  harmony  of  sentiment  exist 
ing  between  herself  and  departed  spouse,  in  reference 
thereto,  let  the  following  incident  bear  witness. 

"  After  Washington  attained  to  manhood,  he  was  re 
markable  for  his  sobriety  ;  yet  his  boyhood  was  not  with 
out  some  instances  of  folly  and  rashness. 

"  The  story  related  of  the  favourite  colt  will  serve  as  an 
illustration  of  this  latter  remark.  At  the  time  the  occur 
rence  happened,  which  1  am  about  to  relate,  George 
might  have  been  somewhat  past  ten  years  old.  At  all 
adventures  his  father  was  dead  ;*  and  upon  his  mother 
devolved  the  general  care  of  the  plantation. 

*  He  was  certainly"past,  eleven  years  of  age  as  his  father  died  in 
April,  1743. 

4 


«5«  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  Among  other  things  she  owned  a  colt ;  which,  on  ac 
count  of  its  many  fine  points,  was  quite  a  favourite.  It 
was  old  enough  to  have  been  broken  long  before  ;  but 
for  some  reason  it  had  been  neglected,  and  was  remarka 
bly  wild. 

"  George  had  frequently  eyed  this  colt  as  it  pranced 
round  the  field,  proudly  snuffing  up  the  wind,  wheeling 
and  halting,  and  displaying  its  fine  proportions ;  and 
more  than  once  he  wished  that  he  was  upon  its  back. 

"  One  day,  at  length,  he  told  his  wishes  to  some  of  his 
school  companions,  and  engaged  them  to  meet  him  early 
the  next  morning,  when,  with  their  assistance,  he  would 
have  a  ride. 

11  Accordingly  the  little  party  assembled  the  following 
day,  soon  after  sunrise,  and  repaired  to  the  field,  where 
the  young  Arabian  was  kept,  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  house.  With  some  effort,  they  contrived  to  pen  him, 
and  with  still  more  effort  to  put  a  bridle  upon  him. 

"  Several  took  hold  of  the  bridle,  while  the  athletic 
youngster,  with  a  single  leap,  vaulted  upon  his  back. 

"  The  necessary  consequences  of  such  an  undertaking 
now  took  place.  A  desperate  struggle  followed  between 
the  horse  and  his  rider.  For  a  long  time  the  contest  con 
tinued  doubtful,  till  at  length  in  the  fury  of  his  plunges, 
the  noble  animal  falling  headlong  burst  a  blood  vessel, 
which  produced  instant  death. 

"  By  this  fall  George  received  no  injury.  But  it  grieved 
him  to  see  lying  before  him  the  lifeless  body  of  the  spirit 
ed  animal,  whose  death  he  was  now  sensible  had  been 
occasioned  by  his  censurable  folly  and  rashness.  His 
mother,  too !  her  fondness  for  this  animal  came  crowding 
upon  him,  to  render  his  trouble  still  more  distressing. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON  39 

"  Shortly  after  a  call  to  breakfast  was  heard.  Some  of 
the  companions  of  George,  I  believe,  had  been  invited  to 
breakfast  with  him  that  morning;  and  now,  however 
much  they  could  have  desired  to  have  been  excused,  they 
went  in;  and  were  soon  seated  at  the  table. 

"  For  a  time,  little  was  said — less  than  usual.  Whether 
Mrs.  Washington  remarked  this,  I  cannot  say.  But,  at 
length,  breaking  the  silence,  she  inquired  whether  they 
had  seen  her  fine  sorrel  colt  in  their  rambles. 

"  To  this  no  one  of  the  boys  replied,  and  the  question 
was  therefore  repeated. 

"  There  was  now  no  escape.  The  case  was  to  be  met, 
and  met  at  once.  The  integrity  of  George  had  been 
tried  in  still  younger  days  ;  and  now  again  tried,  it  no 
bly  stood  the  test.  He  replied  to  the  question  put  by  his 
mother. 

"  '  Your  sorrel  colt  is  dead,  mother.' 

"  l  Dead !  George,'  exclaimed  Mrs.  W.,  with  a  good  deal 
of  surprise — c  dead,  do  you  say  V  her  hands  relaxing 
from  some  service  which  she  was  performing  at  the  table. 

"  '  Yes,  he  is  dead.' 

c: '  How  happened  it,  George  ? ' 

" { I  will  tell  you,  mother.  I  am  the  only  one  in 
fault.'  And  now  he  proceeded  to  give  her  a  circumstan 
tial  and  correct  account  of  the  whole  transaction. 

"  Before  the  story  was  ended,  the  flush,  which  had  for  a 
short  space  risen  upon  the  cheek  of  Mrs.  W.,  an  evidence 
of  her  displeasure,  had  all  passed  away,  and  in  conclusion 
she  observed,  quite  kindly  and  calmly,  '  While  I  regret 
the  loss  of  my  favourite,  /  rejoice  in  my  son>  who  al 
ways  speaks  the  truth.'1 " 

*  Anonyrr.oas. 


40  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

Soon  after  the  above  occurrence,  the  father  having 
been  dead  some  months,  George  was  sent  to  Westmore 
land  to  reside  with  his  half-brother,  Augustine,  who,  as 
heir  thereof,  occupied  the  family  seat  in  that  county.  It 
was  mainly  with  a  view  to  the  benefits  of  a  respectable 
school  in  the  neighbourhood,  that  George  was  removed 
from  the  maternal  roof. 

What  the  religious  advantages  were,  which  awaited 
him  in  his  new  situation,  we  have  not  the  means  of  ascer 
taining.  There  is  no  doubt  but  he  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  public  worship  at  the  parish  church,  known  then  and 
now  as  Pope's  Creek  Church.  Here  his  attendance  was 
probably  habitual,  as  it  was  an  age  in  which  every  body 
in  that  region  frequented  the  House  of  God  whenever  di 
vine  service  was  performed.  This  fact,  otherwise  noto 
rious,  is  also  indicated  by  the  size  of  the  churches  built  in 
Virginia  at  that  period,  and  by  none  more  strongly  than 
by  the  one  above-named,  which,  from  its  vast  extent,  could 
once  have  accommodated  a  multitude  of  worshippers. 

During  his  temporary  residence  in  Westmoreland,  and 
while  the  pupil  of  a  Mr.  Williams,  the  manifestations  of 
good  dispositions  were  numerous  and  striking.  Such 
was  his  reputation,  (as  an  old  gentleman  who  had  been 
at  school  with  him  once  testified)  such  was  his  reputa 
tion  for  veracity,  impartiality,  and  sound  judgment,  among 
his  schoolmates,  that  in  all  their  little  differences  and  dis 
putes  he  was  ever  called  to  act  as  their  chosen  umpire. 
And  so  great  was  their  confidence  in  him,  that  his  deci 
sions  were  seldom  called  in  qiieRtion.  With  his  com 
panions  he  never  quarrelled  ;  nor  would  he  ever  con 
sent  to  see  them  fight  with  each  other.  Instead  of  en, 
couraging  a  practice  so  degrading,  he  would  often  inform 


CHARACTER  OF    WASHINGTON.  41 

the  teacher  when  lie  became  acquainted  with  any  such 
wicked  design — for  which,  however,  he  was  much  cen 
sured  by  the  boys. 

By  nature  possessed  of  a  resolute  and  martial  spirit, 
how  shall  we  account  for  his  gentle  and  pacific  conduct 
in  the  instances  referred  to.  How,  except  on  the  ground 
of  a  very  refined  temper,  or  of  a  gracious  state  of  mind. 
It  is  known  that  the  Spirit  of  God  does  often,  at  a  very 
tender  age,  secretly  imbue  the  soul  with  generous  feelings 
and  kind  affections.  We  are  inclined  to  think  that  the 
traces  of  his  hallowed  agency  were  clearly  apparent  in 
the  dispositions  and  conduct  under  consideration. 

The  few  meagre  records  which  have  been  spared  us 
of  this  period  of  his  life,  enable  us  to  form  some  idea  of 
the  particular  direction  of  his  mind,  and  of  the  manner  in 
which  his  leisure  hours  were  spent.  When  about  thirteen 
years  of  a?e  he  kept  a  blank  book  for  the  reception,  in 
manuscript,  of  such  articles  as  he  thought  instructive  and 
useful.  Among  other  things  we  find  him  transferring  to 
this  book,  from  a  source  not  signified,  a  number  of  max 
ims,  or  rules  of  conduct,  for  the  government  of  a  young 
person.  We  here  present  the  reader  with  a  selection  from 
these  rules.  They  are  such  as  may  afford  profit  to  all  if 
carefully  considered. 

"  1.  Every  action  in  company  ought  to  be  with  some 
sign  of  respect  to  those  present. 

"  2.  Be  no  flaterrer. 

"  3.  Let  your  countenance  be  pleasant ;  but  in  serious 
matters,  somewhat  grave. 

"4.  Show  not  yourself  glad  at  the  misfortune  of  an 
other,  though  he  were  your  enemy. 

<<  5.  When  you  meet  with  one  of  greater  quality  that 
4* 


42  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

yourself,  stop  and  retire  ;  especially  if  it  be  at  a  door,  or 
any  strait  place,  to  give  way  for  him  to  pass. 

"  6.  They  that  are  in  dignity  or  in  office,  have  in  all 
places  precedency  ;  but  whilst  they  are  young  they 
ought  to  respect  those  that  are  their  equals  in  birth,  or 
other  qualities,  though  they  have  no  public  charge. 

"  7.  It  is  good  manners  to  prefer  them  to  whom  we 
speak  before  ourselves;  especially  if  they  be  above  us,  with 
whom  in  no  sort  we  ought  to  begin. 

"  8.  Let  your  discourse  with  men  of  business  be  short 
and  comprehensive. 

"  9.  In  writing  or  speaking,  give  to  every  person  his 
due  title,  according  to  his  degree  and  the  custom  of  the 
place. 

"  10.  Strive  not  with  your  superiours  in  argument,  but 
always  submit  your  judgment  to  others  with  modesty. 

"11.  Undertake  not  to  teach  your  equal  in  the  art 
himself  professes  :  it  savours  of  arrogancy. 

"  12.  When  a  man  does  all  he  can,  though  it  succeeds 
not  well,  blame  not  him  that  did  it. 

"  13.  Being  to  advise,  or  reprehend  any  one,  consider 
whether  it  ought  to  be  in  public  or  in  private,  presently 
or  at  some  other  time,  in  what  terms  to  do  it ;  and  in  re 
proving  show  no  signs  of  choler,  but  do  it  with  sweetness 
and  mildness. 

"  14.  Take  all  admonitions  thankfully,  in  what  time 
or  place  soever  given;  but  afterwards,  not  being  culpable, 
take  a  time  or  place  convenient  to  let  him  know  it  that 
gave  them. 

"  15.  Mock  not,  nor  jest  at  any  thing  of  importance  ; 
break  no  jests  that  are  sharp-biting,  and  if  you  deliver 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  43 

any  thing  that  is  witty  and  pleasant,  abstain  from  laugh 
ing  thereat  yourself. 

"16.  Wherein  you  reprove  another  be  unblamable 
yourself;  for  example  is  more  prevalent  than  precepts. 

"  17.  Use  no  reproachful  language  against  any  one  ; 
neither  curse,  nor  revile. 

"  18.  Be  not  hasty  to  believe  flying  reports  to  the  dis 
paragement  of  any. 

"  19.  In  your  apparel  be  modest,  and  endeavour  to  ac 
commodate  nature,  rather  than  to  procure  admiration ; 
keep  to  the  fashion  of  your  equals,  such  as  are  civil  and 
orderly  with  respect  to  times  and  places. 

'•  20.  Play  not  the  peacock,  looking  every  where  about 
you  to  see  if  you  be  well  decked,  if  your  shoes  fit  well,  if 
your  stockings  sit  neatly,  and  clothes  handsomely. 

"21.  Associate  yourself  with  men  of  good  quality,  if 
you  esteem  your  own  reputation  ;  for  it  is  better  to  be 
alone  than  in  bad  company. 

"  22.  Let  your  conversation*  be  without  malice  or  envy, 
for  it  is  a  sign  of  a  tractable  and  commendable  nature  ; 
and  in  all  causes  of  passion,  admit  reason  to  govern. 

"  23.  Utter  not  base  and  frivolous  things  among  grave 
and  learned  men  ;  nor  very  difficult  questions  or  subjects 
among  the  ignorant. :  nor  things  hard  to  be  believed. 

"  24.  Be  not  immodest  in  urging  your  friend  to  discover 
a  secret. 

"  25.  Break  not  a  jest  where  none  takes  pleasure  in 
mirth ;  laugh  not  aloud,  nor  at  all  without  occasion. 
Deride  no  man's  misfortune,  though  there  seem  to  be  some 
cause. 

"  26.  Speak  not  injurious  words  neither  in  jest  nor 
in  earnest ;  scoff  at  none,  though  they  give  occasion. 


44  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  27.  Be  not  forward,  but  friendly  and  courteous  ;  the 
first  to  salute,  hear  and  answer ;  and  be  not  pensive 
when  it  is  time  to  converse. 

"  28.  Detract  not  from  others ;  neither  be  excessive 
in  commending. 

"  29.  Go  not  thither,  where  you  know  not  whether 
you  shall  be  welcome  or  not.  Give  not  advice,  without 
being  asked,  and  when  desired  do  it  briefly. 

"  30.  Reprehend  not  the  imperfections  of  others  ;  for 
that  belongs  to  parents,  masters  and  superiours. 

"  31.  Gaze  not  on  the  marks  or  blemishes  of  others, 
and  ask  not  how  they  came.  What  you  may  speak  in 
secret  to  your  friend,  deliver  not  before  others. 

"32.  When  another  speaks,  be  attentive  yourself,  and 
disturb  not  the  audience.  If  any  hesitate  in  his  words 
help  him  not,  nor  prompt  him  without  being  desired  ; 
interrupt  him  not,  nor  answer  him  till  his  speech  be 
ended. 

"  33.  Make  no  comparisons  ;  and  if  any  of  the  com 
pany  be  commended  for  any  brave  act  of  virtue,  com 
mend  not  another  for  the  same. 

"  34.  Be  not  apt  to  relate  news  if  you  know  not  the 
truth  thereof.  In  discoursing  of  things  you  have  heard; 
name  not  your  author  always.  A  secret  discover  not. 

"  35.  Undertake  not  what  you  cannot  perform,  but 
be  careful  to  keep  your  promise. 

"  36.  Speak  not  evil  of  the  absent,  for  it  is  unjust. 

"  37.  Set  not  yourself  at  the  upper  end  of  the  table, 
but  if  it  be  your  due,  or  that  the  master  of  the  house  will 
have  it  so,  contend  not  lest  you  should  trouble  the  com 
pany. 

"  38.  When  you  speak  of  God,  or  his  attributes,  let  if, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  45 

be  seriously  in  reverence.     Honour  and  obey  your  natu 
ral  parents,  although  they  be  poor. 

"  39.  Let  your  recreations  be  manful,  not  sinful. 

"  40.  Labour  to  keep  alive  in  your  breast  that  little 
spark  of  celestial  fire,  called  conscience." 

In  the  code  of  rules,  of  which  the  above  are  a  speci 
men,  there  is  contained  some  very  useful  instruction  for 
improvement  in  morals  and  manners.  The  vigilant  care 
which  furnished  young  Washington  with  such  seasonable 
aid,  was  probably  mindful  of  the  advantages  of  still 
higher  knowledge,  even  the  knowledge  of  God  and  re 
vealed  truths.  We  should  at  least  so  conclude  from  the 
spirit  and  practice  of  the  day,  in  reference  to  the  claims 
and  duties  of  family  religion. 

From  this  period  we  learn  little  of  the  life  of  Washing 
ton,  (except  hiscnritimiunrr  in  Westmoreland,  at  school) 
till  the  summer  of  1746.  He  was  now  in  his  fifteenth 
year,  and  seeking  to  enter  the  British  navy.  During  his 
suspense,  or  rather  the  suspense  of  his  mother,  he  found 
his  way  into  the  county  of  Fairfax,  the  residence  of  his 
brother  Lawrence  and  other  friends.  While  there,  per 
haps,  on  his  way  to  Mount  Vernon,  he  appears  to  have 
spent  a  little  time  at  the  house  of  Mr.  William  Fairfax, 
the  father-in-law  of  his  brother,  and  a  most  amiable  and 
excellent  individual.  The  following  extract  of  a  letter 
from  him  to  Lawrence  Washington,  is  the  last  notice  we 
have  of  George,  having  any  reference  to  his  character, 
till  he  entered  upon  the  active  stage  of  life,  some  eighteen 
months  from  this  time,  as  a  surveyor  in  the  western  part 
of  Virginia.  In  the  letter  alluded  to,  dated  September 
10th,  1746,  Mr.  Fairfax  writes,— 

"  George  has  been  with  us,  and  says  he  will  be  steady 


46  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

and  thankfully  follow  your  advice  as  his  best  friend. 
I  gave  him  his  mother's  letter  to  deliver,  with  a  caution 
not  to  show  his.  I  have  spoken  to  Dr.  Spencer,  who  I 
find  is  often  at  the  widow's,  [Mrs.  Washington's]  and  has 
some  influence,  to  persuade  her  to  think  better  of  your 
advice  in  putting  George  to  sea  with  good  recommen 
dations." 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year  it  was  settled  that  George 
should  not  go  to  sea.  The  tenderness  of  a  mother's  love, 
under  God,  prevented  this  step.  The  circumstances  at 
tending  the  final  relinquishment  of  a  scheme,  so  captivat 
ing  to  the  youthful  fancy,  were  marked  by  some  highly 
honourable  proofs  of  filial  affection  on  his  part.  Every 
necessary  preparation  for  his  indulgence  having  been 
completed,  the  surrender  of  his  prospects  was  a  costly  sa 
crifice  at  the  shrine  of  duty — the  peace  of  an  honoured  pa 
rent  being  consulted  at  the  expense  of  cherished  anticipa 
tions.  The  divine  command  had  doubtless  been  im 
pressed  on  his  mind,  "Honour  thyfather  and  thy  mother, 
that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee  ;"  and  he  had  seen  the  same  sub 
stantially  reiterated,  in  the  moral  sentences  just  quoted 
from  his  manuscript  book.  "  Honour  and  obey  your  na 
tural  parents,  although  they  be  poor" — and  being  always 
principled  in  what  he  thought  right,  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  deny  himself  in  this  instance,  painful  as  the  effort  was, 
that  he  might  contribute  to  the  satisfaction  and  comfort  of 
her  who  had  nourished  and  brought  him  up,  and  lavish 
ed  upon  him  her  fondest  regard,  her  tenderest  affection. 
To  this  event,  however,  we  shall  have  occasion  to  revert 
again,  and  therefore  forbear  to  dwell  upon  it  here. 

From  this  time,  till  March  1748,  when  he  engaged 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  47 

as  a  surveyor  with  Lord  Fairfax,  being  just  sixteen  years 
of  age,  George,  it  is  believed,  resided  at  Mount  Vernon, 
and  with  his  mother  at  her  abode  opposite  to  Fredericks- 
burg.  In  that  town  he  went  to  school,  and  as  Mrs. 
Washington  was  connected  with  the  church  there,  her 
son  no  doubt  shared,  under  her  own  eye,  the  benefits  of 
divine  worship,  and  such  religious  instruction  as  mothers 
an  that  day  were  eminently  accustomed  to  give  their  chil 
dren.*  It  was  the  habit  to  teach  the  young  the  first 
principles  of  religion  according  to  the  formularies  of  the 
church,  to  inculcate  the  fear  of  God,  and  the  strict  ob 
servance  of  the  moral  virtues,  such  as  truth,  justice,  cha 
rity,  humility,  modesty,  temperance,  chastity,  and  indus 
try.  That  such  instruction  was  not  withheld  in  the  case 
under  consideration,  we  have  good  reason  to  believe,  and 
think  a  confirmation  thereof  may  be  found,  not  only  in 
the  known  spirit  of  the  age,  but  in  the  subsequent  life  of 
him  who  thus  shared  the  advantages  of  so  excellent  a 
means  of  grace. 

By  indulgence  of  the  present  estimable  possessor  of 
Mount  Vernon,  the  writer  has  upon  his  table  an  ancient 
volume,  entitled,  <:  Contemplations,  Moral  and  Divine, 
by  Sir  Mathew  Hale,  Knight ;  late  Chief  Justice  of  the 
King's  Bench."  This  book  belonged  to  Mrs.  Washing 
ton,  and  has  her  name  in  it,  written  with  her  own  hand. 
It  would  seem  that  the  volume  passed,  the  time  unknown, 
into  the  hands  of  General  Washington,  as  it  was  found 
after  his  death  in  the  library  at  Mount  Vernon.  It  bears 

*  Mrs.  Washington  had  an  only  daughter,  the  mother  of  a  large  fa 
mily.  The  writer  once  heard  a  member  of  that  family  say,  that  when 
he  first  left  the  parental  roof,  the  last  thing  his  mother  said  to  him  was, 
"  My  son,  neglect  not  the  duty  of  secret  prayer." 


48  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the  marks  of  frequent  use,  and  appears,  in  certain  parts, 
to  have  engaged  particular  attention.  There  is  reason 
able  ground  of  assurance  that  Mrs.  Washington  was  in 
the  habit  of  reading  from  this  book,  lessons  of  piety  and 
wisdom  to  her  children.  Such  was  the  pious  custom  of 
parents  ;  and  the  tradition  in  the  family  is  that  "  it  was 
a  counsellor  of  past  days." 

It  is  proposed  to  make  a  few  extracts  from  the  work, 
embracing  especially  such  portions  as  have  been  evidently 
most  frequently  used  and  particularly  referred  to.  There 
will  be  found  in  the  truths  and  principles  inculcated  here 
in,  so  much  that  assimilates  with  the  character  and  habits 
of  Washington,  that  it  is  hard  to  avoid  the  persuasion 
that  he  was  familiar  with  the  subject-matter  of  the  vo 
lume,  either  through  the  early  instructions  of  his  mother, 
or  by  the  diligent  study  thereof  at  a  subsequent  period  of 
his  life. 

From  the  treatise  on  "  Humility,"  the  fifth  in  the  vo 
lume,  we  make  the  following  extracts : — 

"  But  on  the  other  side,  an  humble  man  leans  not  to 
his  own  understanding ;  he  is  sensible  of  the  deficiency 
of  his  own  power  and  wisdom,  and  trusts  not  in  it ;  he  is 
also  sensible  of  the  all-sufficient  power,  wisdom  and  good 
ness  of  Almighty  God  ;  and  commits  himself  to  him  for 
counsel,  guidance,  direction,  and  strength.  It  is  natural 
for  any  man  or  thing,  that  is  sensible  of  his  own  defi 
ciency,  to  seek  out  after  that  which  maybe  a  support  and 
strength  to  him,  and  as  Almighty  God  is  essentially  good 
and  perfect,  so  he  is  (if  I  may  use  the  expression)  most 
naturally  communicative  of  it,  to  any  that  seek  unto  him 
for  it  in  humility  and  sincerity.  The  air  does  not  more 
naturally  yield  to  our  attraction  in  respiration,  or  to  in- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  49 

• 

sinuate  itself  into  those  spaces  that  are  receptive  of  it, 
than  the  Divine  assistance,  guidance,  and  beneficence, 
does  to  the  desires,  and  exigencies,  and  wants,  of  an  hum 
ble  soul,  sensible  of  its  own  emptiness  and  deficiency,  and 
imploring  the  direction,  guidance,  and  blessing,  of  the 
most  wise  and  bountiful  God.  I  can  call  my  own  ex 
perience  to  witness,  that  even  in  the  external  actions, 
occurrences  and  incidences  of  my  whole  life,  I  was  never 
disappointed  of  the  best  guidance  and  direction,  when  in 
humility  and  sense  of  my  own  deficiency,  and  diffidence 
of  my  own  ability  to  direct  myself,  or  to  grapple  with  the 
dirficultes  of  my  life,  I  have  with  humility  and  sincerity, 
implored  the  secret  direction  and  guidance  of  the  Divine 
Wisdom  and  Providence.  And  I  dare  therein  appeal  to 
the  vigilant  and  strict  observation  of  any  man's  experi 
ence,  whether  he  has  not  found  the  same  experience 
in  relation  to  himself,  and  his  own  actions  and  successes  ; 
and  whether  those  counsels  and  purposes  which  have 
been  taken  up  after  an  humble  invocation  of  the  Divine 
direction,  have  not  been  always  most  successful  in  the 
end. 

"  Consider,  what  it  is  thou  pridest  thyself  in,  and  ex 
amine  well  the  nature  of  the  things  themselves,  how  little 
and  inconsiderable  they  are ;  at  least,  how  uncertain  and 
unstable  they  are. 

"  Thou  hast  fine  gay  clothes,  and  this  makes  children 
and  young  men  and  women  proud,  even  to  admiration. 
Bui  thou  art  not  half  so  fine  and  gay  as  the  Peacock, 
Ostrich,  or  Parrot ;  nor  is  thy  finery  so  much'  thine  own, 
as  theirs  is  ;  but  it  is  borrowed  from  the  silk- worm,  the 
golden  mines,  the  industry  of  the  Embroiderer,  Weaver, 
Tailor  ;  and  it  is  no  part  of  thyself.  And  hast  thou  the 
5 


50  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    ATTD 

patience  to  suffer  thyself  to  be  abused  into  this  childish, 
pitiful,  foolish  pride  ? 

"  Thou  hatit  it  may  be  wealth,  stores  of  money,  but 
how  much  of  it  is  of  use  to  thee  ?  That  which  thou 
spendest,  is  gone  ;  that  which  thou  keepest,  is  as  insig 
nificant  as  so  much  dirt  or  clay  ;  only  thy  care  about  it 
makes  thy  life  the  more  uneasy. 

******** 

"  Thou  hast  honour,  esteem  ;  thou  art  deceived,  thou 
hast,  it  not,  he  hath  it  that  gives  it  thee,  and  which  he 
may  detain  from  thee  at  pleasure But  sup 
pose  it  were  as  fixed  and  stable  a  reputation  and  honour, 
as  a  rock  of  marble  or  adamant,  and  that  it  were  the 
best  kind  of  honour  imaginable,  namely,  the  result  of 
thy  virtue  and  merit ;  yet  still  it  is  but  a  shadow,  a  re 
flection  of  that  virtue  or  worth,  which  if  thou  art  proud 
of,  thou  degradest  into  vanity  and  ostentation  ;  and 
canst  thou  think  it  reasonable  to  be  proud  of  the  shadow, 
where  thou  oughtest  not  to  be  proud  of  that  worth  that 
causeth  it  ? 

"  Again ;  thou  hast  power,  art  in  great  place  and 
authority ;  but  thou  art  mistaken  in  this,  the  power  thou 
hast,  is  not  inherent  in  thyself.  One  of  the  meanest  of 
those  whom  it  may  be  thou  oppressest,  is  inherently  as 
powerful  as  thee,  and  could,  it  may  be,  over-match  thee  in 
strength,  wit,  or  policy ;  but  the  power  thou  hast  is,  (next 
to  the  dispensation  of  Divine  Providence)  from  those 
men,  that  either  by  their  promises,  faith  or  voluntary 
assistance,  have  invested  thee  with  this  power.  This 
power  is  nothing  inherent  in  thee,  but  it  depends  upon 
the  fidelity  or  assistance  of  others,  which  if  they  either 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  51 

by  perfidiousness  to  thee,  or  resistance  against  thee, 
or  withdrawing  their  assistance  from  thee,  shall  call 
again  home  to  themselves,  thou  art  like  Sampson 
having  lost  his  locks.  Thy  strength  will  go  from 
thee,  and  thou  wilt  become  weak,  and  be  like  ano 
ther  man" 

The  treatise  on  "  Redeeming  Time,"  seems  to  have 
engaged  particular  attention.  We  make  a  few  quota 
tions  which  we  regard  as  appropriate. 

"  How  time  is  to  be  redeemed.  The  particular  me 
thods  of  husbanding  time  under  both  the  former  rela 
tions,  viz.,  in  relation  to  opportunity,  and  in  relation  to 
our  time  of  life,  shall  be  promiscuously  set  down.  Now 
the  actions  of  our  lives  may  be  distinguished  into  several 
kinds,  and  in  relation  to  those  several  actions,  will  the 
employments  of  our  time  be  diversified.  1.  There  are 
actions natur al ;  such  as  eating,  drinking,  sleep,  motion, 
rest.  2.  Actions  civil;  as  provision  for  families,  bearing 
of  public  offices  in  times  of  peace  or  war  ;  moderate  recre 
ations  and  diversions  ;  employments  in  civil  vocations,  as 
Agriculture,  Mechanical  Trades,  Liberal  Professions.  3. 
Actions  moral;  whether  relating  to  ourselves,  as  sobri 
ety,  temperance,  moderation,  or  relating  to  others,  as  acts 
of  justice,  charity,  compassion,  liberality.  4.  or  lastly, 
actions  religious;  relating  to  Almighty  God,  as  invoca 
tion,  thanksgiving,  inquiring  into  his  works,  will,  obedi 
ence  to  his  law,  and  commands,  observing  the  solemn 
seasons  of  his  worship  and  service,  and,  which  must  go 
through  and  give  a  tincture  to  all  the  rest,  a  habit  of  fear 
of  him,  love  to  him,  humility  and  integrity  of  heart  and 
soul  before  him ;  and  in  sum,  a  habit  of  religion  towards 


52  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

God  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  the  one  thing  ne 
cessary,  and  overweighs  all  the  rest. 

*##**** 

"Much  time  might  be  saved  and  redeemed,  in  retrench 
ing  the  unnecessary  waste  thereof  in  our  ordinary  sleep, 
attiring  and  dressing  ourselves,  and  the  length  of  our 
meals,  as  breakfast,  dinners,  suppers  ;  which,  especially 
in  this  latter  age,  and  among  people  of  the  better  sort, 
are  protracted  to  an  immoderate  and  excessive  length. 

"  Beware  of  too  much  recreation.  Some  bodily  ex 
ercise  is  necessary,  for  sedentary  men  especially ;  but 
let  it  not  be  too  frequent,  nor  too  long.  Gaining  Taverns, 
and  Plays,  as  they  are  pernicious,  and  corrupt  youth ; 
so  if  they  had  no  other  fault,  yet  they  are  justly  to  be  de 
clined  in  respect  of  their  excessive  expense  of  time,  and 
habituating  men  to  idleness  and  vain  thoughts,  and  dis 
turbing  passions,  when  they  are  past,  as  well  as  while  they 
are  used.  Let  no  recreations  of  any  long  continuance  be 
used  in  the  morning,  for  they  hazard  the  loss  or  discom 
posure  of  the  whole  day  after. 

"  Be  obstinately  constant  to  your  devotions  at  certain 
set  times,  and  be  sure  to  spend  the  Lord's  day  entirely  in 
those  religious  duties  proper  for  it ;  and  let  nothing  but 
an  inevitable  necessity  divert  you  from  it. 

"  Be  industrious  and  faithful  in  your  calling.  The 
merciful  God  has  not  only  indulged  us  with  a  far  greater 
portion  of  time  for  our  ordinary  occasions,  than  he  has  re 
served  to  himself,  but  also  enjoins  and  requires  our  indus 
try  and  diligence  in  it.  And  remember,  that  you  observe 
that  industry  and  diligence,  not  only  as  the  means  of  ac 
quiring  a  competency  for  yourself  and  your  family,  but 
also  as  an  act  of  obedience  to  his  command  and  ordi- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  53 

nance,  by  means  whereof,  you  make  it  not  only  an  act 
of  civil  conversation,  but  of  obedience  to  Almighty  God ; 
and  so  it  becomes  in  a  manner  spiritualized  into  an  act 
of  religion. 

11  Whatever  you  do,  be  very  careful  to  retain  in  your 
heart  a  habit  of  religion,  that  may  be  always  about  you? 
and  keep  your  heart  and  life  always  as  in  his  presence, 
and  tending  towards  him.  This  will  be  continually  with 
you,  and  put  itself  into  acts,  even  though  you  are  not  in  a 
solemn  posture  of  religious  worship,  and  will  lend  you 
multitudes  of  religious  applications  to  God,  upon  all  occa 
sions  and  interventions,  which  will  not  at  all  hinder  you 
in  any  measure,  in  your  secular  concerns,  but  better  and 
further  you.  It  will  make  you  faithful  in  your  calling, 
through  reflection  on  the  presence  and  command  of  Him 
you  fear  and  love.  It  will  make  you  thankful  for  all 
successes  and  supplies  ;  temperate  and  sober  in  all  your 
natural  actions  ;  just  and  faithful  in  all  your  dealings ; 
patient  and  contented  in  all  your  disappointments  and 
crosses ;  and  actually  consider  and  intend  His  honour  in 
all  you  do  ;  and  will  give  a  tincture  of  religion  and  devo 
tion  upon  all  your  secular  employments,  and  turn  those 
very  actions,  which  are  materially  civil  or  natural,  into 
the  very  true  and  formal  nature  of  religion,  and  make 
your  whole  life  to  be  an  unintermitted  life  of  religion  and 
duty  to  God.  For  this  habit  of  piety  in  your  soul,  will 
not  only  not  lie  sleeping  and  inactive,  but  almost  in  every 
hour  of  the  day,  will  put  forth  actual  exertings  of  itself 
in  applications  of  short  occasional  prayers,  thanksgivings, 
dependence,  resort  unto  that  God  that  is  always  near  you, 
and  lodgeth  in  a  manner  in  your  heart  by  his  fear,  and 
love,  and  habitual  religion  towards  him.  And  by  this 


54  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

means  you  do  effectually,  and  in  the  best  manner,  redeem 
your  time." 

But  that  part  of  the  volume  specially  deserving  atten 
tion,  as  exhibiting  a  singularly  accurate  counterpart  of 
the  character  of  Washington,  is  the  treatise  styled  "  The 
Great  Audit,"  with  "  The  Account  of  The  Good  Stew 
ard."  In  this  production  we  have  the  final  judgment 
supposed — all  mankind  standing  before  the  bar  of  God, 
who  submits  to  each  a  charge,  and  receives  from  the  good 
steward  an  account  of  his  life.  In  the  charge,  among 
other  things,  we  have  the  following  : 

"  1.  I  have  given  unto  you  all  your  senses,  and  princi 
pally  those  two  great  senses  of  discipline,  your  sight  and 
your  hearing. 

"  Item.  I  have  given  unto  you  all,  Understanding  and 
Reason,  to  be  a  guide  of  your  actions,  and  to  some  of  you 
more  eminent  degrees  thereof. 

"  Item.  I  have  given  you  all,  Memory,  a  treasury  of 
things  past,  heard,  and  observed. 

"  Item.  I  have  given  you  a  Conscience  to  direct  you, 
and  to  check  you  in  your  miscarriages,  and  to  encourage 
you  in  well-doing ;  and  I  have  furnished  that  Conscience 
of  yours  with  light,  and  principles  of  truth  and  practice, 
conformable  to  my  will. 

"  Item.  I  have  given  you  the  advantage  of  Speech, 
whereby  to  communicate  your  minds  to  one  another,  and 
to  instruct  and  advantage  one  another  by  the  help  thereof. 

"  Item.  I  have  given  over  to  you  the  rule  and  domi 
nion  over  my  creatures,  allowing  you  the  use  of  them  for 
your  food,  raiment,  and  other  conveniences. 

"  Item.  Besides  these  common  talents,  I  have  enrich 
ed  some  of  you  with  special  and  eminent  talents  above 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  55 

others.  I  have  given  such  great  learning  and  know 
ledge  in  the  works  of  Nature,  Arts  and  Sciences  ;  great 
prudence  and  wisdom  in  the  conduct  of  affairs,  elocution, 
excellent  education.  I  have  given  you  a  firm  and  healthy 
constitution,  strength,  beauty  and  comeliness  ;  also  great 
affluence  of  wealth  and  riches,  eminence  of  place,  and 
power  and  honour  ;  great  reputation  and  esteem  in  the 
world  ;  great  success  in  enterprizes  and  undertakings, 
public  and  private.  Christian  and  liberal  education  you 
have  had ;  counsel  and  advice  of  faithful  and  judicious 
friends  ;  good  laws  in  the  place  and  country  where  you 
live  ;  the  written  word  of  God  acquainting  you  with  my 
will,  and  the  way  to  eternal  life^;  the  word  preached  by 
able  and  powerful  ministers  thereof;  the  sacraments 
both  for  your  initiation  and  confirmation,"  &c.  &c. 

In  answer  to  these  things  the  good  steward  is  represent 
ed  as  giving  in  his  account.  Among  many  other  things 
which  he  is  supposed  to  say,  the  following  are  put  into 
his  mouth. 

"As  to  all  the  blessings  and  talents  wherewith  thou 
hast  entrusted  me — I  have  looked  up  to  thee  with  a  thank 
ful  heart,  as  the  only  author  and  giver  of  them.  I  have 
looked  upon  myself  as  unworthy  of  them.  I  have  looked 
upon  them  as  committed  to  my  trust  and  stewardship, 
to  manage  them  for  the  ends  that  they  were  given,  the 
honour  of  my  Lord  and  Master.  I  have  therefore  been 
watchful  and  sober  in  the  use  and  exercise  of  them,  lest 
I  should  be  unfaithful  in  them.  If  I  have  at  any  time, 
through  weakness,  or  inadvertence,  or  temptation,  mis 
employed  any  of  them,  I  have  been  restless,  till  I  have 
in  some  measure  rectified  my  miscarriage,  by  repentance 
and  amendment. 


56  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS    AND 

"  As  touching  my  conscience  and  the  light  thou  hast 
given  me  in  it. — It  has  been  my  care  to  improve  that 
natural  light,  and  to  furnish  it  with  the  best  principles  1 
could.  Before  I  had  the  knowledge  of  thy  word,  I  got  as 
much  furniture  as  I  could  from  the  writings  of  the  best 
moralists,  and  the  examples  of  the  best  men ;  after  I  had 
the  light  of  thy  word,  I  furnished  it  with  those  most  pure 
and  unerring  principles  that  I  found  in  it.  I  have  been 
very  jealous  either  of  wounding,or  grieving,  or  discourag 
ing,  or  deadening  my  conscience.  I  have  therefore  chosen 
rather  to  forbear  that  which  seemed  but  indifferent,  lest 
there  might  be  somewhat  in  it  that  might  be  unlawful ; 
and  would  rather  gratify  my  conscience  with  being  too 
scrupulous,  than  displease  or  disquiet  it  by  being  too  ven 
turous.  I  have  still  chosen  rather  to  forbear  what  might 
probably  be  lawful,  than  to  do  that  which  might  be  pos 
sibly  unlawful ;  because  I  could  not  err  in  the  former,  1 
might  in  the  latter.  If  things  were  disputable  whether 
they  might  be  done,  I  rather  chose  to  forbear  because  the 
lawfulness  of  my  forbearance  was  unquestionable. 

"  Concerning  my  speech,  I  have  always  been  careful 
that  I  offend  not  with  my  tongue  ;  my  words  have  been 
few,  unless  necessity  or  thy  honour  required  more  speech 
than  ordinary  ;  my  words  have  been  true,  representing 
things  as  they  were  ;  and  sincere,  bearing  conformity  to 

my  heart  and  mind I  have  esteemed  it  the 

most  natural  and  excellent  use  of  my  tongue,  to  set  forth 
thy  glory,  goodness,  power,  wisdom  and  truth  ;  to  in 
struct  others,  as  I  had  opportunity,  in  the  knowledge  of 
thee,  in  their  duty  to  thee,  to  themselves  and  others  ;  to  re 
prove  vice  and  sin,  to  encourage  virtue  and  good  living, 
to  convince  of  errors,  to  maintain  the  truth,  to  call  up- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  57 

on  thy  name,  and  by  vocal  prayers  to  sanctify  my  tongue, 
and  to  fix  my  thoughts  to  the  duty  about  which  I  was  ; 
to  persuade  to  peace  and  charity  and  good  works. 

"  Touching  thy  creatures,  and  the  use  of  them,  and 
the  dominion  over  them,  I  have  esteemed  them  thine  in 
propriety  :  thou  hast  committed  unto  me  the  use,  and  a 
subordinate  dominion  over  them  ;  yet  I  ever  esteemed 
myself  accountable  to  thee  for  them,  and  therefore  I  have 
received  them  with  thankfulness  unto  thee,  the  great 
Lord  both  of  them  and  me.  When  the  earth  yielded  me 
a  good  crop  of  corn,  or  other  fruits  ;  when  flocks  increas 
ed  ;  when  my  honest  labours  brought  me  in  a  plentiful  or 
convenient  supply,  I  looked  up  to  thee  as  the  Giver,  to  thy 
Providence  and  blessing,  as  the  source  of  all  my  increase. 
I  did  not  sacrifice  to  my  own  net,  or  industry  or  pru 
dence,  but  I  received  all  as  the  gracious  and  bountiful 
returns  of  thy  liberal  hand  ;  I  looked  upon  every  grain  of 
corn  that  I  sowed  as  buried  and  lost,  unless  thy  power 
quickened  and  revived  it ;  I  esteemed  the  best  production 
would  have  been  but  stalk  and  straw,  unless  thou  hadst 
increased  it ;  I  esteemed  my  own  hand  and  industry  but 
impotent,  unless  thou  hadst  blessed  ;  for  it  is  thy  blessing 
that  maketh  rich,  and  it  is  thou  that  givest  power  to  get 
wealth. 

"  I  esteemed  it  my  duty  to  make  a  return  of  this  my 
acknowledgment,  by  giving  the  tribute  of  my  increase  in 
the  maintenance  of  thy  ministers,  and  the  relief  of  the 
poor  ;  and  1  esteemed  the  practice  enjoined  to  thy  ancient 
people  of  giving  the  tenth  of  their  increase,  not  only  a 
sufficient  warrant,  but  instruction  to  me,  under  the  Gos 
pel,  to  do  the  like. 


58  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

"Concerning  human  prudence,  and  understanding 
in  affairs,  and  dexterity  in  the  management  of  them. — I 
have  always  been  careful  to  mingle  justice  and  honesty 
with  my  prudence;  and  have  always  esteemed  prudence, 
actuated  by  injustice  and  falsity,  the  arrantest  and  most 
devilish  practice  in  the  world,  because  it  prostitutes  thy 
gift  to  the  service  of  Hell,  and  mingles  a  beam  of  thy 
Divine  excellence,  with  an  extract  of  the  devil's  furnish 
ing,  making  a  man  so  much  the  worse  by  how  much 
he  is  wiser  than  others.  I  always  thought  that  wisdom, 
which  in  a  tradesman,  and  in  a  politician,  was  mingled 
with  deceit,  falsity,  and  injustice,  deserved  the  same 
name  ;  only  the  latter  is  so  much  the  worse,  because  it 
was  of  the  more  public  and  general  concernment ;  yet 
because  I  have  often  observed  great  employments, 
especially  in  public  affairs,  are  sometimes  under  great 
temptations  of  mingling  too  much  craft  with  prudence^ 
and  then  to  miscall  it,  policy,  I  have  as  much  as  may 
be,  avoided  such  temptations,  and  if  I  have  met  with 
them,  I  have  resolutely  rejected  them. 

"  I  have  always  observed,  that  honesty  and  plain-deal 
ing  in  transactions,  as  well  public  as  private,  is  the  best 
and  soundest  prudence  and  policy,  and  commonly  at  the 
long  run  over-matches  craft  and  subtlety ;  for  the  de 
ceived  and  deceiver  are  thine,  and  thou  art  privy  to 
the  subtlety  of  the  one,  and  the  simplicity  of  the  other  ; 
and  as  the  great  observer  and  ruler  of  men,  dost  dispense 
success  and  disappointments  accordingly. 

"  As  human  prudence  is  abused  if  mingled  with  falsity 
and  deceit,  though  the  end  be  ever  so  good,  so  it  is  much 
more  debased,  if  directed  to  a  bad  end  ;  to  the  disho 
nour  of  thy  name,  the  oppression  of  thy  people,  the 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  69 

Corrupting  of  thy  worship  or  truth,  or  to  execute  any 
injustice  towards  any  person.  It  hath  been  my  care  as 
not  to  err  in  the  manner,  so  neither  in  the  end,  of  the  ex 
ercising  of  thy  Providence.  I  have  ever  esteemed  my 
prudence  then  best  employed,  when  it  was  exercised  in 
the  preservation  and  support  of  thy  truth,  in  the  uphold 
ing  of  thy  faithful  ministers,  in  countermining,  discover 
ing,  and  disappointing  the  designs  of  evil  and  treacher 
ous  men,  in  delivering  the  oppressed,  in  righting  the  in 
jured,  in  preventing  of  wars  and  discords,  in  preserving 
the  public  peace  and  tranquillity  of  the  people  where  I 
live ;  and  in  all  those  offices  incumbent  upon  me  by  thy 
Providence  under  every  relation. 

"  When  my  end  was  most  unquestionably  good,  1 
ever  then  took  most  heed  that  the  means  were  suitable 
and  justifiable.  Because  the  better  the  end  was,  the  more 
easily  are  we  cozened  into  the  use  of  ill  means  to  effect 
it.  We  are  too  apt  to  dispense  with  ourselves  in  the 
practice  of  what  is  amiss,  in  order  to  the  accomplishing 
of  an  end  that  is  good  ;  we  are  apt,  while  with  great  in- 
tenseness  of  mind  we  gaze  upon  the  end,  not  to  take  care 
what  course  we  take  so  we  attain  it ;  and  we  are  apt  to 
think  that  God  will  dispense  with,  or  at  least  overlook, 
the  miscarriages  in  our  attempts,  if  the  end  be  good. 
Because  many  times,  if  not  most  times,  thy  name  and 
honour  do  more  suffer  by  attempting  a  good  end  by  bad 
means,  than  by  attempting  both  a  bad  end,  and  by  bad 
means.  For  bad  ends  are  suitable  to  bad  means  ;  they 
are  alike  ;  and  it  doth  not  immediately  as  such  concern 
thy  honour.  But  everything  that  is  good  hath  some 
what  of  thee  in  it ;  thy  name,  and  thy  nature,  and  thy 
honour  is  written  upon  it ;  and  the  blemish  that  is  cast 


60  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

upon  it,  is,  in  some  measure,  cast  upon  thee  ;  and  the 
evil,  and  scandal,  and  infamy,  that  is  in  the  means,  is 
cast  upon  the  end,  and  doth  disparage  and  blemish  it, 
and  consequently  it  dishonours  thee.  To  rob  for  burnt- 
offerings,  and  to  lie  for  God,  is  a  greater  disservice  to  thy 
majesty,  than  to  rob  for  rapine  or  to  lie  for  advantage. 

"  Whensoever  my  prudence  was  successful,  in  the  at 
tainment  of  a  good  end,  I  ever  gave  thy  name  the  glory, 
and  that  in  sincerity.  I  have  known  some  men,  (and  if 
a  man  will  observe  his  own  heart,  he  will  find  it  there 
also,  unless  it  be  strictly  denied,)  that  will  give  God  the 
glory  of  the  success  of  a  good  enterprize,  but  yet  with  a 
kind  of  secret  reservation  of  somewhat  of  praise  for  them 
selves,  their  prudence,  conduct,  and  wisdom ;  and  will 
be  glad  to  hear  of  it,  and  secretly  angry  and  discontented 
if  they  miss  it ;  and  many  times  give  God  the  glory, 
with  a  kind  of  ostentation  and  vanity  in  doing  so.  But 
I  have  given  thee  the  glory  of  it  because  of  my  very 
judgment,  that  it  is  due,  and  due  only  to  thee.  I  do 
know  that  that  prudence  that  I  have,  comes  from  thee  ; 
and  I  do  know  that  it  is  thy  providential  ordering  of  oc 
currences,  that  makes  prudential  deliberations  successful ; 
and  more  is  due  unto  thy  ordering,  disposing,  fitting, 
timing,  directing  of  all  in  seeming  casualties,  than  there 
is  to  that  human  counsel  by  which  it  is  moved  or  seems 
to  be  moved ;  the  least  whereof,  if  not  marshalled  by  thy 
hand,  would  have  shattered  and  broken  the  counsel  into 
a  thousand  pieces.  Thou  givest  the  advice  by  thy  wis 
dom,  and  dost  second  it  by  thy  Providence  ;  thou  dealest 
by  us,  as  we  do  by  our  children,  when  we  set  them  to  lift 
up  a  heavy  weight,  and  we  lift  with  them ;  and  we  again 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  61 

are  too  like  those  children  that  think  we  moved  the 
weight,  when  we  moved  not  a  grain  of  it. 

"  In  reference  to  my  health,  I  always  avoided  these  two 
extremes :  I  never  made  it  my  idol.  I  declined  not  the 
due  employment  of  my  hody  in  the  works  of  charity  or 
necessity,  or  my  ordinary  calling,  out  of  a  vain  fear  of 
injuring  my  health  ;  for  I  reckoned  my  health  given  me 
in  order  to  these  employments.  And  as  he  is  over-care 
ful,  that  will  not  put  on  his  clothes,  for  fear  of  wearing 
them  out,  or  use  his  axe,  for  fear  of  hurting  it ;  so  he 
gives  but  an  ill  account  of  a  healthy  body,  that  dares  not 
employ  it  in  a  suitable  occupation,  for  fear  of  hurting 
his  health.  Nor  was  I  vainly  prodigal  of  it,  but  careful 
in  a  due  manner  to  preserve  it.  I  would  decline  places 
of  infection,  if  I  had  no  special  duties  that  brought  me 
to  them,  also  unnecessary  journeys,  exposing  myself  to 
unnecessary  dangers,  especially  intemperance  in  eating 
and  drinking. 

"  Touching  my  eminence  of  place  or  power  in  this 
world,  this  is  my  account.  I  never  sought  or  desired  it, 
and  that  for  these  reasons.  First,  because  I  easily  saw 
that  it  was  rather  a  burden  than  a  privilege.  It  made 
my  charge  and  my  account  the  greater,  my  content 
ment  and  my  rest  the  less.  I  found  enough  in  it  to 
make  me  decline  it  in  respect  of  myself,  but  not  any 
thing  that  could  make  me  seek  or  desire  it.  That  ex 
ternal  glory  and  splendour  also  that  attended  it,  I  esteem 
ed  as  vain  and  frivolous  in  itself,  a  bait  to  allure  vain 
and  inconsiderate  persons,  not  valuable  enough  to  in 
vite  a  considerate  judgment  to  desire  or  undertake  it.  1 
esteemed  them  as  the  gilding  that  covers  a  bitter  pill, 
and  I  looked  through  this  dress  and  outside,  and  easily 

6 


62  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

saw  that  it  covered  a  state  obnoxious  to  danger,  solicitude, 
care,  trouble,  envy,  discontent,  disquietude,  temptation, 
and  vexation.  I  esteemed  it  a  condition,  which,  if  there 
were  any  distempers  abroad,  they  would  infallibly  be 
hunting  and  pushing  at  it ;  and  if  it  found  any  corrup 
tions  within,  either  of  pride,  vain-glory,  insolence,  vindic- 
tiveness,  or  the  like,  it  would  be  sure  to  draw  them  out 
and  set  them  to  work.  And  if  they  prevailed,  it  made 
my  power  and  greatness,  not  only  my  burden  but  my 
sin  ;  if  they  prevailed  not,  yet  it  required  a  most  watch 
ful,  assiduous,  and  severely  vigilant  labour  and  industry j 
to  suppress  them. 

"  When  I  undertook  any  place  of  power  or  eminence, 
first,  I  looked  to  my  call  thereunto,  to  be  such  as  I  might 
discern  to  be  thy  call,  not  my  own  ambition.  Second, 
that  the  place  were  such  as  might  be  answered  by  suita 
ble  abilities,  in  some  measure,  to  perform.  Third,  that  my 
end  in  it  might  not  be  the  satisfaction  of  any  pride,  ambi 
tion,  or  vanity  in  myself,  but  to  serve  thy  Providence  and 
my  generation  faithfully.  In  all  which,  my  undertaking 
was  not  an  act  of  my  choice,  but  of  rny  duty. 

"  In  the  holding  or  exercising  these  places,  I  kept  my 
heart  humble  ;  I  valued  not  myself  one  rush  the  more  for 
it.  First,  because  I  easily  found  that  that  base  affection 
of  pride,  which  commonly  is  the  fly  that  haunts  such  em 
ployments,  would  render  me  dishonourable  to  thy  majes 
ty,  and  disserviceable  in  the  employment.  Second,  be 
cause  I  easily  saw  great  places  were  slippery  places,  the 
mark  of  envy.  It  was,  therefore,  always  my  care  so  to  be 
have  myself  in  them,  as  1  might  be  in  a  capacity  to  leave 
them,  and  so  to  leave  them,  that  when  I  had  left  them,  I 
might  have  no  scars  and  blemishes  stick  upon  me.  I 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  63 

carried,  therefore,  the  same  evenness  of  temper  in  holding 
them,  as  might  become  me,  if  I  were  without  them.— - 
Third,  I  found  enough  in  great  employments,  to  make 
me  sensible  of  the  danger,  troubles,  and  cares  of  them  ; 
enough  to  make  me  humble,  but  not  enough  to  make  me 
proud  and  haughty. 

';  I  never  made  use  of  my  power  or  greatness  to  serve 
my  own  turns,  either  to  heap  up  riches,  or  to  oppress  my 
neighbour,  or  to  revenge  injuries,  or  to  uphold  injustice. 
For,  though  others  thought  me  great,  I  knew  myself  to 
be  still  the  same,  and  in  all  tilings,  besides  the  due  exe 
cution  of  my  place,  my  deportment  was  just  the  same  as 
if  I  had  been  no  such  man  ;  for  first,  I  knew  that  I  was 
but  thy  steward  and  minister,  and  placed  there  to  serve 
thee,  and  those  ends  which  thou  proposedst  in  my  prefer 
ment,  and  not  to  serve  myself,  much  less  my  passions  or 
corruptions.  And  further,  I  very  well  and  practically 
knew,  that  place,  and  honour,  and  preferment,  are  things 
extrinsical,  and  form  no  part  of  the  man.  His  value  and 
estimate  before,  and  under,  and  after  his  greatness,  is  still 
the  same  in  itself,  as  the  counter  that  now  stands  for  a 
penny,  anon  for  six-pence,  and  then  for  twelve-pence,  is 
still  the  same  counter,  though  its  place  and  extrinsical  de 
nomination  be  changed. 

"  I  improved  the  opportunity  of  my  place,  eminence, 
and  greatness,  to  serve  thee  and  my  country  in  it,  with 
all  vigilance,  diligence  and  fidelity.  I  protected,  counte 
nanced,  and  encouraged  thy  worship,  name,  day,  and 
people.  I  did  faithfully  execute  justice  according  to  that 
station  I  had.  I  rescued  the  oppressed  from  the  cruelty, 
malice,  and  insolence  of  their  oppressors.  I  cleared  the  in 
nocent  from  unjust  calumnies  and  reproaches.  I  was  in- 


64  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

strumental  to  place  those  in  offices,  places,  and  employments 
of  trust  and  consequence,  that  were  honest  and  faithful.  I 
removed  those  that  were  dishonest,  irreligious,  false,  or 
unjust,  &c. 

"  Touching  my  reputation  and  credit,  I  never  affected 
the  reputation  of  being  rich,  great,  crafty,  or  politick  ;  but 
I  esteemed  much  a  deserved  reputation  of  justice,  honesty, 
integrity,  virtue,  and  piety. 

"  I  never  thought  that  reputation  was  the  thing  pri 
marily  to  be  looked  after  in  the  exercise  of  virtue,  for  that 
were  to  affect  the  substance  for  the  sake  of  the  shadow, 
which  had  been  a  kind  of  levity  and  weakness  of  mind  ; 
but  I  looked  at  virtue,  and  the  worth  of  it,  as  that  which 
was  the  first  desirable,  and  reputation,  as  a  fair  and  useful 
accession  to  it. 

"  The  reputation  of  justice  and  honesty,  I  was  always 
careful  to  keep  untainted,  upon  these  grounds.  First,  be 
cause  a  blemish  in  my  reputation  would  be  dishonourable 
to  thee.  Second,  it  would  be  an  abuse  of  a  talent  which 
thou  hadst  committed  to  me.  Third,  it  would  be  a 
weakening  of  an  instrument  which  thou  hadst  put  into 
my  hands,  upon  the  strength  whereof  much  good  might 
be  done  by  me. 

"  Though  I  have  loved  my  reputation,  and  have  been 
vigilant  not  to  lose,  or  impair  it,  by  my  own  default  or 
neglect,  yet  I  have  looked  upon  it  as  a  brittle  thing,  a 
thing  that  the  devil  aims  to  hit  in  a  special  manner,  a 
thing  that  is  much  in  the  power  of  a  false  report,  a  mis 
take,  a  misapprehension,  to  wound  and  hurt ;  and  not 
withstanding  all  my  care,  I  am  at  the  mercy  of  others, 
without  God's  wonderful,  over-ruling  providence.  And 
as  my  reputation  is  the  esteem  that  others  have  of  me,  so 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  65 

that  esteem  may  be  blemished  without  my  default.  I 
have,  therefore,  always  1  aken  this  care,  not  to  set  my  heart 
upon  my  reputation.  I  will  use  all  fidelity  and  honesty, 
and  take  care  it  shall  not  be  lost  by  any  default  of 
mine  ;  and  if,  notwithstanding  all  this,  my  reputation  be 
soiled  by  evil,  or  envious  men,  or  angels,  I  will  patiently 
bear  it,  and  content  myself  with  the  serenity  of  my  own 
conscience. 

"  When  thy  honour,  or  the  good  of  my  country,  was 
concerned,  I  then  thought  it  was  a  seasonable  time  to  lay 
out  my  reputation  for  the  advantage  of  either,  and  to  act 
with  it,  and  by  it.  and  upon  it,  to  the  highest,  in  the  use 
of  all  lawful  means.  And  upon  such  an  occasion,  the 
counsel  of  Mordecai  to  Esther  was  my  encouragement — 
1  Who  knoweth  whether  God  hath  not  given  thee  this  re 
putation  and  esteem  for  such  a  time  as  this  ? ' " 

In  these  striking  selections,  from  this  excellent  produc 
tion,  our  readers  will  doubtless  see  reason  for  the  belief, 
that  no  small  influence  was  contributed  thereby  towards 
the  formation  of  Washington's  character.  Here  we  might 
stop,  in  the  assurance  that  such  a  persuasion  would  be 
general.  But  we  cannot  forbear  another  quotation,  be 
cause  of  the  singular  coincidence  of  its  sentiments  with 
those  which  are  known  to  have  distinguished  the  Father 
of  his  Country.  We  cite  the  discourse  in  which  the  au 
thor  treats  "Of  Wisdom  and  the  Fear  of  God."  His  lan 
guage  is  :— 

"  Sincerity,  uprightness,  integrity,  and  honesty,  are  cer 
tainly  true  a i.'d  real  wisdom.  Let  any  man  observe  it 
where  he  will,  an  hypocrite,  or  dissembler,  or  double- 
hearted  man,  though  he  may  shuffle  it  out  for  awhile, 
yet  at  the  long  run,  he  is  discovered,  and  disappointed, 

6* 


66  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

and  betrays  very  much  folly  at  the  latter  end  ;  when  a 
plain,  sincere,  honest  man,  holds  it  out  to  the  very  last ;  so 
that  the  proverb  is  most  true,  that  "Honesty  is  thejbest 
Policy"  Now  the  great  privilege  of  the  fear  of  God  is, 
that  it  makes  the  heart  sincere  and  upright,  and  even  that 
will  certainly  make  th^,  words  and  actions  so.  For  he 
is  under  the  sense  of  the  inspection  and  animadversion  of 
that  God  who  searches  the  heart  ;  and  therefore,  he 
dares  not  lie,  nor  dissemble,  nor  flatter,  nor  prevaricate, 
because  he  knows  the  pure,  all-seeing,  righteous  God,  that 
loves  truth  and  integrity,  and  hates  lying  and  dissimula 
tion,  beholds  and  sees  and  observes  him,  and  knows  his 
thoughts,  words  and  actions. 

*****.#** 

"  Another  great  cause  of  folly  in  the  world  is,  inadver 
tence,  inconsideration,  precipitancy,  and  over-hastiness 
in  speeches  or  actions.  If  men  had  but  the  patience  many 
times,  to  pause  but  so  long  in  actions  and  speeches  of  mo 
ment,  as  might  serve  to  repeat  but  the  Creed  or  Lord's 
Prayer,  many  follies  in  the  world  would  be  avoided  that 
do  very  much  mischief,  both  to  the  parties  themselves 
and  others.  And  therefore,  inadvertence  and  precipi 
tancy  in  things  of  great  moment,  and  that  required  much 
deliberation,  must  needs  be  a  very  great  folly,  because 
the  consequence  of  miscarriage  in  them  is  of  greater  mo 
ment.  Now  the  fear  of  God,  being  actually  present  up 
on  the  soul,  and  exerting  itself,  is  the  greatest  motive  and 
obligation  in  the  world  to  consideration  and  attention, 
touching  things  to  be  done  or  said. 

#         #         #         #         #         #         # 

"  It  mightily  advanceth  and  improveth  the  worth  and 
excellency  of  most  human  actions  in  the  world,  and 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON  67 

makes  them  a  nobler  kind  of  a  thing,  than  otherwise 
without  it,  they  would  be.  Take  a  man  that  is  employ 
ed  as  a  statesman  or  politician,  though  he  have  much 
wisdom  and  prudence,  it  commonly  degenerates  into 
craft,  and  cunning,  and  pitiful  shuffling,  without  the  fear 
of  God,  but  mingle  the  fear  of  Almighty  God  with  that 
kind  of  wisdom,  it  renders  it  noble,  and  generous,  and 
staid,  and  honest,  and  stable.  Again,  take  a  man  that  is 
much  acquainted  with  the  subtler  kind  of  learning,  as 
philosophy  for  instance,  without  the  fear  of  God  upon  his 
heart,  it  will  carry  him  over  to  pride,  arrogance,  self-con 
ceit,  curiosity,  presumption  ;  but  mingle  it  with  the  fear 
of  God,  it  will  ennoble  that  knowledge,  carry  it  up  to  the 
honour  and  glory  of  that  God,  who  is  the  author  of  nature, 
to  the  admiration  of  his  power,  wisdom  and  goodness  ;  it 
will  keep  him  humble,  modest,  sober,  and  yet  rather 
with  an  advance,  than  detriment,  to  his  knowledge." 

Copious  as  these  extracts  are,  from  a  volume  which 
seems  to  have  been  the  vade  mecum  of  Washington,  the 
indulgence  of  the  intelligent  reader  is  confidently  antici 
pated.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  he  took  delight  in 
such  a  work,  that  he  was  habitually  familiar  with  its  holy 
and  edifying  instructions,  and  sympathized  with  the  en 
lightened  and  pious  author,  in  views  and  sentiments  so 
exalted.  In  contemplating  the  circumstance,  we  feel  as 
if  a  debt  of  gratitude  was  due  the  illustrious  man,  who  gave 
himself  to  the  labour  of  writing  such  a  book,  while  he 
fulfilled  those  duties  of  his  high  office,  which  gave  him 
an  imperishable  claim  to  the  homage  and  gratitude  of  his 
own  country.  By  his  pre-eminent  ability,  and  abundant 
labours,  as  the  chief  judicial  officer  of  the  English  bench, 
he  sustained  the  character  of  its  brightest  ornament,  and 


69  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

yet  found  time  and  means,  by  the  admirable  production 
before  us,  to  confer  inestimable  spiritual  good  upon  his 
fellow-men.  It  was  of  this  valued  man  that  one  of  the 
first  of  poets  sung.* 


.  "  piety  has  found 

Friends  in  the  friends  of  science,  and  true  pray'r 
Has  flow'd  from  lips  wet  with  Castalian  dews. 
Such  was  thy  wisdom,  Newton,  child-like  sage  ! 

And  such  thine,  in  whom 

Our  British  Themis  gloried  with  just  cause, 
Immortal  Hale  !  for  deep  discernment  prais'd, 
And  sound  integrity,  not  more  than  famed, 
For  sanctity  of  manners  undefil'd." 

Nor  can  we  forget  what  we  owe  to  the  kind  and  con 
siderate  mother,  who  having  stored  the  mind  of  her  son 
with  the  priceless  wisdom  of  this  book,  gave  it  to  him,  in 
all  probability,  as  the  memorial  of  her  love,  when  he  first 
left  her  widowed  habitation  for  the  boisterous  sea  of  life. 
Let  the  example  encourage  parents  to  imitate  her  mater 
nal  fidelity,  and  early  sow  the  seed,  which  may,  in  a  pro 
pitious  soil,  to  ample  harvests  grow, 

*  Cowper, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  69 


CHAPTER    II. 

HIS     RELIGIOUS     OPINIONS. 

IMPRESSED,  as  we  have  seen,  at  an  early  age,  with 
reverence  for  the  Divine  Being,  and  educated  in  the 
principles  of  Christianity,  the  next  subject  of  inquiry 
claiming  attention,  involves  the  question  of  Washington's 
matured  opinions,  in  regard  to  the  truth  of  those  things, 
which  had  been  received  by  him,  in  the  less  competent 
season  of  youth.  It  has  been  affirmed  by  some,  that 
whatever  may  have  been  imagined  on  the  subject,  he 
never  did  in  fact  fully  embrace  the  Christian  system,  or 
admit  its  divine  authority.  To  establish  this  point, 
has  been  a  favourite  design  with  individuals  of  a  certain 
class,  ever  since  his  eminence  lias  imparted  peculiar 
weight  to  his  opinions.  With  the  motives,  which  have 
induced  these  statements,  we  have  not  so  much  to  do,  as 
with  their  want  of  claim  to  public  confidence. 

The  following  incident,  taken  from  a  northern  journal, 
will  at  once  explain  the  allusions  just  indulged,  and  in 
troduce  the  written  testimony  of  Washington,  in  favour  of 
a  sincere  belief,  on  his  part,  in  the  truth  and  divinity  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures. 

u MESSRS  EDITORS. — The  publication  in  your  last 
paper  on  the  subject  of  the  religious  sentiments  of  Gene^ 


70  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

ral  Washington,  and  other  distinguished  men  of  the 
revolution,  reminds  me  of  a  conversation  I  heard  some 
years  ago  on  the  same  subject,  at  the  residence  of  the 
late  Judge  Boudinot.  at  Newark,  N.  J.  It  was  asserted 
by  some  one,  that  although  General  Washington  had,  in 
his  public  documents,  acknowledged  the  existence  and 
sovereignty  of  a  Supreme  Being,  who  governed  and  ruled 
the  affairs  of  this  world,  yet  there  was  no  proof  that  he 
was  a  Christian,  or  acknowledged  a  divine  revelation  or 
belief  in  a  Saviour.  This,  Judge  Boudinot  remarked, 
was  a  mistake.  '  The  General,'  he  observed,  '  was  a 
Christian,'  and  cited  the  address  or  circular  letter*  to  the 
several  governours  of  the  different  states,  as  a  proof.  This 
address  he  produced,  and  from  it  I  extracted  the  part 
bearing  on  this  subject,  a  copyt  of  which  I  now  enclose 
for  publication,  if  you  think  proper." 

"  The  citizens  of  America,  placed  in  the  most  enviable 
condition,  as  the  sole  lords  and  proprietors  of  a  vast  tract 
of  continent,  comprehending  all  the  various  soils  and 
climates  of  the  world,  and  abounding  with  all  the  neces 
saries  and  conveniences  of  life,  are  now,  by  the  late  satis 
factory  pacification,  acknowledged  to  be  possessed  of  ab 
solute  freedom  and  independency.  They  are,  from  this 
period,  to  be  considered  as  the  actors  on  a  most  conspicu 
ous  theatre,  which  seems  to  be  peculiarly  designated  by 
Providence,  for  the  display  of  human  greatness  and  feli 
city.  Here,  they  are  not  only  surrounded  with  every 
thing,  which  can  contribute  to  the  completion  of  private 

*  The  circular  letter  was  dated  Head-Quarters,  Newburg,  8  June, 
1783. 

f  The  extract  given  above  is  some  what  more  extended  than  the  one 
referred  to. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  71 

and  domestic  enjoyment,  but  heaven  has  crowned  all  its 
other  blessings,  by  giving  a  fairer  opportunity  for  political 
happiness,  than  any  other  nation  has  ever  been  favoured 
With.  Nothing  can  illustrate  these  observations  more 
forcibly,  than  a  recollection  of  the  happy  conjuncture  of 
times  and  circumstances,  under  which,  our  republic  as 
sumed  its  rank  among  the  nations.  The  foundation  of 
our  empire,  was  not  laid  in  the  gloomy  age  of  ignorance 
and  superstition  ;  but  at  an  epocha,  when  the  rights  of 
mankind  were  better  understood,  and  more  clearly  defin 
ed,  than  at  any  former  period.  The  researches  of  the 
human  mind  after  social  happiness,  have  been  carried  to 
a  great  extent :  the  treasures  of  knowledge,  acquired  by 
the  labours  of  philosophers,  sages  and  legislators,  through 
a  long  succession  of  years,  are  laid  open  for  our  use,  and 
their  collected  wisdom  may  be  happily  applied  in  the 
establishment  of  our  forms  of  government.  The  free  cul 
tivation  of  letters,  the  unbounded  extension  of  commerce, 
the  progressive  refinement  of  manners,  the  growing 
liberality  of  sentiment,  and  above  all,  the  pure  and 
benign  light  of  Revelation,  have  had  a  meliorating  in 
fluence  on  mankind,  and  increased  the  blessings  of  society- 
At  this  auspicious  period,  the  United  States  came  into  ex 
istence  as  a  nation,  and  if  their  citizens  should  not  be 
completely  free  and  happy,  the  fault  will  be  entirely  their 
own." 

Having  thus  supplied  us,  especially  in  the  words  which 
we  have  italicized,  with  a  conclusive  proof  of  his  belief 
in  revealed  religion,  we  have  from  his  pen,  in  the  con 
clusion  of  the  "Letter,"  if  possible,  a  still  stronger  expres 
sion  of  his  faith  in  the  fundamental  verities  of  the  Gos 
pel.  His  words  are  : — 


72  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

"  It  remains  then  to  be  my  final  and  only  request,  that 
your  Excellency  will  communicate  these  sentiments  to 
your  legislature  at  their  next  meeting,  and  that  they 
may  be  considered  as  the  legacy  of  one,  who  has  ardent 
ly  wished,  on  all  occasions,  to  be  useful  to  his  country, 
and  who,  even  in  the  shade  of  retirement,  will  not  fail  to 
implore  the  Divine  benediction  upon  it. 

"  I  now  make  it  my  earnest  prayer,  that  God  would 
have  you,  and  the  State  over  which  you  preside,  in  his 
holy  protection ;  that  he  would  incline  the  hearts  of  the 
citizens  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  subordination  and  obedi 
ence  to  government;  to  entertain  a  brotherly  affection  and 
love  for  one  another,  for  their  fellow-citizens  of  the  United 
States  at  large,  and  particularly  for  their  brethren  who 
served  in  the  field  ;  and  finally,  that  he  would  most 
graciously  be  pleased,  to  dispose  us  all  to  do  justice,  to 
love  mercy,  and  to  demean  ourselves  with  that  humility 
and  pacific  temper  of  mind,  which  were  the  characteris 
tics  of  the  Divine  Author  of  our  blessed  religion,  and  with 
out  an  humble  imitation  of  whose  example  in  these 
things,  we  can  never  hope  to  be  a  happy  nation." 

Does  the  language  here  quoted  require  any  comment? 
What  more  satisfactory  evidence  could  be  asked  or  given, 
of  unqualified  faith  in  Revelation  as  a  fact,  or  in  the 
doctrines  announced  thereby.  The  illustrious  author 
dwells,  delighted,  on  the  sources  of  national  good,  dis 
tinguishing  the  age.  He  refers  to  education,  commerce, 
refinement  of  manners,  and  liberality  of  sentiment,  as 
promising  a  favourable  influence  ;  and  then  adds — "  But? 
above  all,  the  pure  and  benign  light  of  Revelation 
has  had  a  meliorating  influence  on  mankind  and  in 
creased  the  blessings  of  society."  Revelation  in  his 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  73 

view,  has  not  only  shed  "  light"  upon  the  world,  but  that 
light  is  "  pure  and  benign.1'  By  it  the  condition  of  man 
kind  has  been  improved,  and  the  "  blessings  of  society 
increased."  Nor  does  his  testimony  end  with  this  strong 
expression  of  his  belief.  He  proceeds,  in  the  closing  para 
graph  of  this  memorable  letter,  to  give  utterance  to  opini 
on?,  which  must  be  regarded  as  still  stronger  than  those 
before  recorded,  as  more  decisive  of  his  evangelical  con 
victions.  In  urging  upon  his  fellow-citizens  the  amiable 
virtues  of  social  life,  such  as  justice,  mercy,  humility,  and 
charity  ;  their  observance  is  enforced  by  no  less  a  motive, 
than  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  "  Divine 
Author  of  our  blessed  religion."  Let  the  reader  mark 
the  force  of  the  language.  It  is  not  Jesus  Christ  "  the 
Author,"  but  the  "  Divine  Author."  Nor  is  it  the  "  Di 
vine  Author  of  our  religion,"  but  of  our  "  blessed  re 
ligion." 

With  so  good  a  confession  before  them,  subject  to  their 
investigation  and  scrutiny,  how  is  it,  that  men  have  pro 
fessed  doubt  and  ignorance,  in  relation  to  the  religious 
belief  of  Washington.  Could  terms  more  explicit,  or 
language  more  transparent,  be  employed  to  announce 
the  honest  convictions  of  the  mind  1  Or  was  there  ever 
an  individual,  on  whose  formal  declarations  of  opinion, 
more  entire  reliance  might  be  placed '/ 

There  is  yet  another  public  official  expression  of  his 
religious  sentiments,  to  which  we  are  concerned  in  giv 
ing  special  attention.  In  his  "  Farewell  Address  to  the 
People  of  the  United  States,"  when  retiring  from  the 
Presidential  Chair,  we  have  a  forcible  and  unequivocal 
declaration  of  his  confirmed  opinions,  in  relation  to  the 
doctrines  of  Revelation.  Having  devoted  the  greater 

7 


74  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

part  of  his  days  to  the  service  of  his  country — to  the 
good  of  his  fellow-citizens — he  takes  his  final  leave  of 
them,  and  of  all  the  employments  of  public  life,  in  this 
Address,  celebrated  by  a  judicious  writer,  as  "  an  enduring 
monument  of  the  goodness  of  his  heart,  the  wisdom  of 
his  head,  and  the  eloquence  of  his  pen."  Among  many 
other  truths  of  the  highest  political  value  and  practical 
excellence,  his  parting  advice  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
was  conveyed  in  the  following  accents  of  unfaltering 
conviction,  and  emphatic  warning. 

"  Of  all  the  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead  to  poli 
tical  prosperity,  religion  and  morality  are  indispensable 
supports.  In  vain  would  that  man  claim  the  tribute  of 
patriotism,  who  should  labour  to  subvert  these  great  pil 
lars  of  human  happiness ;  these  firmest  props  of  the 
duties  of  men  and  citizens.  The  mere  politician,  equally 
with  the  pious  man,  ought  to  respect  and  cherish  them. 
A  volume  could  not  trace  all  their  connexions  with  pri 
vate  and  public  felicity.  Let  it  simply  be  asked,  where 
is  the  security  for  property,  for  reputation,  for  life,  if  the 
sense  of  religious  obligation  desert  the  oaths,  which  are 
the  instruments  of  investigation  in  courts  of  justice? 
And  let  us  with  caution  indulge  the  supposition,  that 
morality  can  be  maintained  without  religion.  Whatever 
may  be  conceded  to  the  influence  of  refined  education,  on 
minds  of  peculiar  structure,  reason  and  experience  both 
forbid  us  to  expect,  that  national  morality  can  prevail  in 
exclusion  of  religious  principles. 

"  It  is  substantially  true,  that  virtue  or  morality,  is  a 
necessary  spring  of  popular  government.  The  rule,  in 
deed,  extends  with  more  or  less  force,  to  every  species  of 
government.  Who  that  is  a  sincere  friend  to  it,  can  look 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  75 

with  indifference  upon  attempts  to  shake  the  foundation 
of  the  fabric  ?  " 

In  the  well-weighed  instruction  of  this  valuable  ex 
tract,  we  have  a  vindication  of  evangelical  doctrine, 
which  cannot,  we  think,  be  too  highly  estimated.  A 
full  development  of  the  pregnant  meaning  of  its  state 
ments,  cannot  fail  to  give  entire  assurance,  not  only  of 
the  faith  of  the  writer  in  the  truth  of  Christianity,  but 
also  to  impress  us  with  the  most  gratifying  views  of  the 
accuracy  and  soundness  of  his  theological  tenets. 

That  his  testimony,  however,  may  be  duly  appreciated, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  the  circumstances  which 
induced  this  manly  and  seasonable  confession,  as  well  as 
the  intrinsic  value  and  orthodoxy  of  the  truths  embraced 
in  its  unequivocal  terms. 

The  period  at  which  the  views  before  us  were  ex 
pressed,  was  distinguished  by  the  alarming  prevalence, 
in  another  hemisphere,  of  a  reckless  and  heaven-daring 
spirit  of  infidelity.  The  principles  of  its  system,  indus 
triously  circulated,  greedily  received,  and  widely  pervad 
ing  the  mass  of  mind  in  the  land — if  not  of  their  first 
germination,  yet  of  their  rank  and  luxuriant  growth — 
had  already  produced  their  own  bitter  fruit,  in  the  unpa 
ralleled  succession  of  civil  commotions,  tumults,  conspi 
racies  and  murders,  by  which,  the  recent  revolution  in 
that  afflicted  country,  had  been  signalized.  Had  the 
evil  been  restricted  to  its  native  clime,  there  had  not 
been  so  much  reason  to  assail  it,  or  warn  of  its  danger. 
Unhappily  it  was  not  so  confined.  Unpropitious  winds 
had  wafted  the  foul  contagion  to  our  distant  shores,  and 
its  fatal  breath  was  fast  infecting  our  hitherto  untainted 
population.  The  profane  dogmas  of  the  Gallic  philoso- 


76  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

phers,  had  been  imbibed  by  some  of  our  eminent  coun 
trymen,  and  diffused  through  their  agency,  were  eagerly 
fostered  by  the  people,  in  their  sympathy  with  a  nation, 
to  whom  we  were  under  real  obligations  for  the  essen 
tial  aid  they  had  rendered  us,  in  our  recent  arduous 
struggle  for  independence.  But  he,  whom  Providence 
had  raised  up,  to  guard  the  interests  of  America,  was  on 
his  watch-tower,  in  the  exercise  of  a  vigilance  that  never 
slumbered.  The  portentous  mischief  did  not  long  escape 
his  penetrating  eye.  He  saw  it  in  the  principles  of  some, 
secretly  debauched  by  a  foreign  residence,  but  near  his 
person  for  a  time,  and  otherwise  in  his  confidence.  The 
influence  of  great  abilities  on  humbler  minds  was  not 
unknown  to  him.  He  could  not,  therefore,  hesitate  about 
his  course.  Impelled  by  his  ardent  love  of  country  and 
honest  regard  for  truth,  he  resolved  to  throw  his  weight 
into  the  scale  of  revealed  religion,  and  essay  to  neutralize 
the  deadly  poison  of  infidelit)^  before  the  foundations  of 
public  and  private  felicity  should  be  totally  corrupted  and 
irretrievably  undermined. 

In  putting  forth  his  magnanimous  efforts  for  this  end, 
he  has  not  only  furnished  a  conclusive  proof  of  his  own 
individual  belief  in  Divine  Revelation,  as  refused  and 
denied  by  the  new  philosophy ;  but  has  left  on  record  an 
imperishable  memorial  of  the  substantial  agreement  of  his 
religious  views,  with  those  of  the  great  body  of  orthodox 
believers,  in  every  age  and  country.  The  existence  of 
this  pleasing  harmony  may  be  clearly  traced,  in  the  just 
and  scriptural  ideas  advanced  in  the  Address,  as  cited, 
respecting  the  intimate  connexion,  subsisting  in  the  eco 
nomy  of  Heaven,  betwixt  religion  and  morality.  We 
quote  his  words  again. — «  Let  us  with  caution  indulge 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  77 

the  supposition,  that  morality  can  be  maintained 
without  religion.  Whatever  may  be  conceded  to  the 
influence  of  refined  education,  on  minds  of  peculiar 
structure,  reason  and  experience  both  forbid  us  to 
expect,  that  national  morality  can  prevail  in  exclu 
sion  of  religious  principle"  The  position  here  present 
ed,  briefly,  but  explicitly,  appears  plainly  to  be  this. — 
"  There  is  not  in  man,  unassisted  by  religion,  strength 
enough  to  ensure  a  moral  life  ;  nor  motives  accessible  to 
him,  sufficient  to  dissuade  from  vice,  or  persuade  to  virtue  ; 
or  in  other  words, — the  corruption  of  human  nature  is 
such,  that  immorality  of  life  will  certainly  ensue,  if  the 
depraved  principle  is  not  subdued,  and  the  heart  purified 
by  a  divine  influence ;  religion  being  the  consecrated 
channel  of  that  influence,  operating  on  the  soul  directly 
by  grace  applied,  or  indirectly  by  motives  competent  to 
sway  the  reason  and  control  the  affections."  It  may  be 
said,  that  there  is  in  the  text,  a  concession,  admitting  an 
exception  to  the  main  position  of  the  writer.  That  a 
moral  life  may  sometimes  exist  without  religious  principle, 
through  c-  the  influence  of  refined  education,  on  minds  of 
peculiar  structure,"  is  the  exception  alluded  to.  This, 
however,  is  not  positively  asserted  by  the  author,  but  as 
it  would  seem,  reluctantly  "  conceded."  Nor  does  this 
admission  on  his  part,  involve  any  surrender  of  the  prin 
ciple  laid  down,  nothing  being  therein  allowed,  but  what 
the  scriptures  admit,  and  experience  attests,  with  certain 
limitations. 

That  the  principal  doctrine  here  maintained  is,  by  no 
means,  a  favourite  one  with  the  world,  is  well  known  ;  nor 
is  it  always  admitted  in  so  unqualified  a  sense,  by  some, 
who  profess  acquiescence  in  the  truth  of  Christianity.  It 

r 


78  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

is,  in  fact,  a  view  held  only  with  decision,  by  the  most 
evangelical  religious  communions.  The  natural  man 
does  not  readily  discern,  nor  his  heart  admit,  that  all  hu 
man  goodness — that  every  social  and  domestic  virtue,  to 
be  perfect,  must  have  its  source  in  the  principles  of  religion, 
implanted  in  the  soul  by  a  divine  power.  Human  pride, 
disdaining  reliance  on  supernatural  aid,  for  those  moral 
accomplishments  which  sustain  its  loudest  boast,  repels 
with  scorn,  a  doctrine,  which  aims  its  blows  unsparingly, 
at  the  foundation  of  its  fondly-cherished  and  vaunted  self- 
sufficiency. 

But  is  not  the  truth  in  question,  however  refused  and 
contradicted,  susceptible  of  an  ample  and  satisfactory 
vindication  ?  Does  it  assert  that,  ordinarily,  the  life  will 
be  bad,  where  the  restraints  of  religion  do  not  exist  ?  And 
may  not  this  proposition  be  easily  sustained  ?  If  man  is 
a  depraved  creature,  as  all  experience  shows  him  to  be, 
what  will  probably  be  his  life,  if  left  to  the  unrestrained 
impulse  of  his  own  wayward  inclinations  ?  Is  it  as  true 
in  the  moral,  as  in  the  physical  world,  that  nothing  can  rise 
above  its  level  ?  Can  a  "  clean  thing  be  brought  out  of 
an  unclean?"  Will  not  the  stream  partake  of  the  na 
ture  of  the  fountain  ? — the  fruit  of  the  quality  of  the  tree  ? 
"  Does  the  same  fountain  send  forth  sweet  waters  and  bit 
ter?"  "Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of  this 
tles?  "  Is  there  any  result  more  certain,  as  a  consequence 
of  man's  moral  constitution,  than  a  life  of  unlimited  in 
dulgence,  where  the  lusts  and  desires  of  the  mind  are 
inordinate,  and  the  means  of  gratification  within  his 
reach  ?  This  effect  must  follow  the  violence  of  passion, 
operating  on  a  mind  destitute  of  moral  ability,  or  of  incli- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  79 

nation  to  resist  the  seducing  charms  of  sensual  and 
worldly  good. 

Is  it,  however,  denied  that  Passion  is  irresistible,  and  a 
sufficiency  of  moral  strength  claimed  for  man,  to  author 
ize  a  belief  in  the  theory  of  Human  Virtue.  Where,  then, 
apart  from  religion,  do  you  find  motives,  by  which  the 
love  of  pleasure  may  be  dethroned,  and  that  of  moral 
excellence  made  supreme.  What  inducements  can  be 
held  out,  which  shall  operate  effectually  upon  the  under 
standing,  as  well  as  upon  the  affections  ?  If  the  under 
standing  does  give  its  cold  approbation,  will  your  boasted 
motives  be  able  to  curb  the  fury  of  the  passions  when 
roused  into  a  tempest  ?  Whence,  then,  are  they  derived  ? 
From  a  philosophic  love  of  goodness  for  its  own  sake,  or 
an  estimate  of  the  delights  arising  from  its  practice,  or 
from  calculations,  as  to  the  comparative  advantages  of  Vice 
and  Virtue  'i  And  what  are  these  to  a  man  in  the  hour 
of  temptation  ?  When  passion  stimulates,  and  appetite 
goads  him,  of  what  avail  to  restrain  and  allay  the  tumult 
of  the  soul,  will  fine  spun  moral  theories  be  ?  Or  of  what 
avail,  the  intimation  of  future  inconveniences,  which  may 
never  arrive,  or  if  they  do,  may  not  be  serious  or  difficult 
to  bear? 

In  excluding  religion,  then,  there  is  no  other  influ 
ence  left,  by  which  the  conduct  of  mankind  can  be 
controlled.  No  agency^  exists  for  rectifying  the  disor 
ders  of  the  soul,  nor  does  any  motive  remain,  of  sufficient 
power,  to  operate  on  the  judgment,  or  affect  the  heart. 
Such  a  system,  therefore,  of  necessity,  is  destructive  of  all 
genuine  morality,  and  giving  up  mankind  at  large,  to 
the  blind  and  lawless  impulses  of  sinful  passions,  turns 


80  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the   world  into  a   dreary  scene  of  confusion,  tumult, 
and  crime. 

In  regard  to  the  concession,  implying  the  efficacy 
of  causes,  other  than  those  of  religion,  in  producing  the 
fruits  of  morality — there  is  no  ground  for  serious  doubt 
as  to  the  fact.  Many  there  are  in  society,  who  have  been 
rendered  useful  members  thereof,  by  iniluences,  far  less 
sacred  than  those,  which  come  down  from  above.  Refined 
education,  good  examples,  respectable  associations,  a  high 
standard  of  morals  in  the  community,  a  regard  to  secular 
interest — all  these  have  great  power  over  the  minds  of 
men,  inspiring  them  with  just  and  liberal  sentiments, 
and  gradually  new-modeling  the  character,  making  them 
upright,  honest,  truthful,  humane,  gentle,  courteous.  — 
And  yet,  so  far  do  these  things  fall  short  of  the  fruits  of 
true  religion,  in  respect  to  uniformity  of  result,  number, 
and  quality  of  the  virtues  produced — that  the  principle 
of  the  "  Address,"  remains  unshaken,  by  all  that  has  been 
conceded.  Of  how  much  greater  worth,  then,  will  that 
principle  appear,  when  it  is  remembered,  that  besides 
the  morality  arising  from  other  causes,  being  of  meagre 
and  stunted  growth — it  is  but  a  very  small  proportion 
of  mankind,  that  share  even  this  equivocal  and  unequal 
agency.  This  one  consideration,  of  itself,  furnishes  a  con 
clusive  answer  to  every  vain  objection,  and  gives  irresis 
tible  energy  to  the  argument  in  favour  of  that  divine 
system,  which,  all-powerful  to  bless,  alone  can  become 
universal,  and  influential  alike  with  high  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  bond  and  free. 

As  further  illustrative  and  explanatory  of  the  views 
contained  in  the  important  extract,  on  the  statements  of 
which  we  have  ventured  a  few  reflections,  it  is  proposed 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  81 

to  introduce  here  some  remarks,  made  by  distinguished 
authors,  living  and  dead,  in  reference  to  the  same  points. 
It  will  be  found,  that  these  remarks  reflect  an  important 
light  on  the  object  of  our  present  investigation. 

We  submit,  in  the  first  place,  some  appropriate  obser 
vations,  from  the  distinguished  pen  of  Robert  Hall, 
published  in  England,  in  the  year  1800 — about  four 
years  after  the  publication  of  the  "  Farewell  Address." 
The  subject  of  his  remarks,  was  "  Modern  Infidelity,"  as 
then,  and  for  some  years  before,  widely  prevalent  in 
Europe.  The  beauty  of  the  sentiments,  and  their 
relation  to  the  subject  in  hand,  will  no  doubt  excuse  the 
length  of  the  citation. 

"  The  skeptical  or  irreligious  system,  subverts  the  whole 
foundation  of  morals.  It  may  be  assumed,  as  a  maxim, 
that  no  person  can  be  required  to  act  contrary  to  his 
greatest  good,  or  his  highest  interest,  comprehensively 
viewed  in  relation  to  the  whole  duration  of  his  being. 
It  is  often  our  duty,  to  forego  our  own  interest  partially, 
to  sacrifice  a  smaller  pleasure  for  the  sake  of  a  greater, 
to  incur  a  present  evil  in  pursuit  of  a  distant  good  of  more 
consequence.  In  a  word,  to  arbitrate  among  interfering 
claims  of  inclination,  is  the  moral  arithmetic  of  human 
life.  But  to  risk  the  happiness  of  the  whole  duration  of 
our  being  in  any  case  whatever,  were  it  possible,  would 
be  foolish :  because  the  sacrifice  must  by  the  nature  of 
it,  be  so  great,  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  com- 
pensation. 

"  As  the  present  world,  on  skeptical  principles,  is  the 
only  place  of  recompense,  whenever  the  practice  of 
virtue  fails  to  promote  the  greatest  sum  of  present  good — 
cases  which  often  occur  in  reality,  and  much  oftener  in 


»2  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

appearance — every  motive  to  virtuous  conduct  is  super 
seded  ;  a  deviation  from  rectitude  becomes  the  part  of 
wisdom  ;  and  should  the  path  of  virtue,  in  addition  to  this, 
be  obstructed  by  disgrace,  torment  or  death,  to  persevere, 
would  be  madness  and  folly,  and  a  violation  of  the  first 
and  most  essential  law  of  nature.  Virtue,  on  these 
principles,  being  in  numberless  instances,  at  war  with 
self-preservation,  never  can  or  ought  to  become,  a  fixed 
habit  of  the  mind. 

"  The  system  of  infidelity  is  not  only  incapable 
of  arming  virtue  for  great  and  trying  occasions,  but 
leaves  it  unsupported  in  the  most  ordinary  occurrences. 
In  vain  will  its  advocates  appeal  to  a  moral  sense,  to 
benevolence,  and  sympathy;  for  it  is  undeniable,  that 
these  impulses  may  be  overcome.  In  vain  will  they 
expatiate  on  the  tranquillity  and  pleasure  attendant  on 
a  virtuous  course :  for,  though  you  may  remind  the 
offender,  that  in  disregarding  them,  he  has  violated  his 
nature,  and  that  a  conduct  consistent  with  them,  is 
productive  of  much  internal  satisfaction  ;  yet,  if  he  reply 
that  his  taste  is  of  a  different  sort,  that  there  are  other 
gratifications  which  he  values  more,  and  that  every 
man  must  choose  his  own  pleasures,  the  argument  is  at 
an  end. 

'-  Rewards  and  punishments,  assigned  by  infinite 
power,  afford  a  palpable  and  pressing  motive,  which  can 
never  be  neglected,  without  renouncing  the  character  of 
a  rational  creature :  but  tastes  and  relishes,  are  not  to  be 
prescribed. 

"A  motive,  in  which  the  reason  of  man  shall  acquiesce, 
enforcing  the  practice  of  virtue  at  all  times  and  seasons, 
enters  into  the  very  essence  of  moral  obligation.  Modern 


CHARACTER    OF   WASHINGTON.  83 

infidelity  supplies  no  such  motives :  it  is,  therefore,  essen 
tially  and  infallibly,  a  system  of  enervation,  turpitude, 
and  vice. 

"This  chasm  in  the  construction  of  morals,  can  only 
be  supplied,  by  the  firm  belief  of  a  rewarding  and  aveng 
ing  Deity,  who  binds  duty  and  happiness,  though 
they  may  seem  distant,  in  an  indissoluble  chain; 
without  which,  whatever  usurps  the  name  of  virtue,  is 
not  a  principle,  but  a  feeling;  not  a  determinate  rule, 
but  a  fluctuating  expedient,  varying  with  the  tastes  of 
individuals,  and  changing  with  the  scenes  of  life. 

"  Nor  is  this  the  only  way,  in  which  infidelity  subverts 
the  foundation  of  morals.  All  reasoning  on  morals 
presupposes  a  distinction  between  inclinations  and 
duties,  affections  and  rules.  The  former  prompt,  the 
latter  prescribe.  The  former  supply  motives  to  action ; 
the  latter  regulate  and  control  it.  Hence,  it  is  evident, 
if  virtue  have  any  just  claim  to  authority,  it  must  be 
under  the  latter  of  these  notions ;  that  is,  under  the  cha 
racter  of  a  law.  It  is  under  this  notion,  in  fact,  that  its 
dominion  has  ever  been  acknowledged  to  be  paramount 
and  supreme. 

"But  without  the  intervention  of  a  superior  will,  it  is 
impossible  there  should  be  any  moral  laws,  except  in 
the  lax  metaphorical  sense,  in  which  we  speak  of  the 
laws  of  matter  and  motion.  Men  being  essentially  equal, 
morality  is  only  a  stipulation,  or  silent  compact,  into 
which  every  individual  is  supposed  to  enter,  as  far  as 
suits  his  convenience,  and  for  the  breach  of  which,  he 
is  accountable  to  nothing  but  his  own  mind.  His  own 
mind  is  his  law,  his  tribunal,  and  his  judge ! 

"Two  consequences,  the  most  disastrous  to  society, 


84  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

will  inevitably  follow  the  general  prevalence  of  this 
system  ; — the  frequent  perpetration  of  great  crimes,  and 
the  total  absence  of  great  virtues. 

"I.  In  those  conjunctures  which  tempt  avarice,  or 
inflame  ambition,  when  a  crime  flatters  with  the  prospect 
of  impunity,  and  the  certainty  of  immense  advantage, 
what  is  to  restrain  an  atheist  from  its  commission  ?  To 
say  that  remorse  will  deter  him,  is  absurd  ;  for  remorse, 
as  distinguished  from  pity,  is  the  sole  offspring  of  religious 
belief,  the  extinction  of  which,  is  the  great  purpose  of  the 
infidel  philosophy. 

«  The  dread  of  punishment,  or  infamy,  from  his  fellow- 
creatures,  will  be  an  equally  ineffectual  barrier ;  because, 
crimes  are  only  committed  under  such  circumstances,  as 
suggest  the  hope  of  concealment :  not  to  say  that  crimes 
themselves  will  soon  lose  their  infamy  and  their  horror, 
under  the  influences  of  that  system,  which  destroys  the 
sanctity  of  virtue,  by  converting  it  into  a  low  calculation  of 
worldly  interest.  Here,  the  sense  of  an  ever-present  Ruler? 
and  of  an  avenging  Judge,  is  of  the  most  awful  and  indis 
pensable  necessity  ;  as  it  is  that  alone  which  impresses  on 
all  crimes  the  character  of  folly,  shows  that  duty  and  in 
terest  in  every  instance  coincide,  and,  that  the  most 
prosperous  career  of  vice,  the  most  brilliant  successes  of 
criminality,  are  but  an  accumulation  of  wrath  against 
the  day  of  wrath. 

"  As  the  frequent  perpetration  of  great  crimes,  is  an 
inevitable  consequence  of  the  diffusion  of  skeptical  prin_ 
ciples,  so,  to  understand  this  consequence  in  its  full  ex 
tent,  we  must  look  beyond  their  immediate  effects,  and 
consider  the  disruption  of  social  ties,  the  destruction  of 
confidence,  the  terror,  suspicion,  and  hatred,  which 
must  prevail  in  that  state  of  society,  in  which  barbarous 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  85 

deeds  are  familiar.  The  tranquillity  which  pervades  a 
well-ordered  community,  and  the  mutual  good  offices 
which  bind  its  members  together,  are  founded  on  an  im 
plied  confidence  in  the  indisposition  to  annoy,  in  the 
justice,  humanity,  and  moderation  of  those  among  whom 
we  dwell.  So  that  the  worst  consequence  of  crimes 
is,  that  they  impair  the  stock  of  public  charity,  and 
general  tenderness.  The  dread  and  hatred  of  our  spe 
cies  would  infallibly  be  grafted  on  a  conviction  that  we 
were  exposed,  every  moment,  to  the  surges  of  an  unbridled 
ferocity,  and  that  nothing,  but  the  power  of  the  magistrate 
stood  between  us  and  the  daggers  of  assassins.  In  such 
a  state,  laws,  deriving  no  support  from  public  manners, 
are  unequal  to  the  task  of  curbing  the  fury  of  the 
passions ;  which,  from  being  concentrated  into  selfish 
ness,  fear,  and  revenge,  acquire  new  force.  Terror  and 
suspicion  beget  cruelty,  and  inflict  injuries  by  way  of 
prevention.  Pity  is  extinguished  in  the  stronger  impulse 
of  self-preservation.  The  tender  and  generous  affections 
are  crushed,  and  nothing  is  seen  but  the  retaliation  of 
wrongs,  the  fierce,  and  unmitigated  struggle  for  superiority. 
This  is  but  a  faint  sketch  of  the  incalculable  calamities 
and  horrors  we  must  expect,  should  we  be  so  unfortunate 
as  ever  to  witness  the  triumph  of  modern  infidelity. 

"  2.  This  system  is  a  soil  as  barren  of  great  and 
sublime  virtues,  as  it  is  prolific  in  crimes.  By  great  and 
sublime  virtues,  are  meant  those  which  are  called  into 
action  on  great  and  trying  occasions,  which  demand  the 
sacrifice  of  the  dearest  interests  and  prospects  of  human 
life,  and  sometimes  of  live  itself:  the  virtues,  in  a  word, 
which  by  their  rarity  and  splendour  draw  admiration, 
and  have  rendered  illustrious  the  character  of  patriots, 

8 


86  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

martyrs,  and  confessors.  It  requires  but  little  reflection 
to  perceive,  that  whatever  veils  a  future  world,  and 
contracts  the  limits  of  existence,  within  the  present  life, 
must  tend,  in  a  proportionable  degree,  to  diminish  the 
grandeur,  and  narrow  the  sphere  of  human  agency. 

"  As  well  might  you  expect  exalted  sentiments  of 
justice  from  a  professed  gamester,  as  look  for  noble  prin 
ciples  in  the  man  whose  hopes  and  fears  are  all  suspend 
ed  on  the  present  moment,  and  who  stakes  the  whole 
happiness  of  his  being  on  the  events  of  this  vain  and 
fleeting  life.  If  he  be  ever  impelled  to  the  performance 
of  great  achievements,  in  a  good  cause,  it  must  be  solely 
by  the  hope  of  fame ;  a  motive  which,  besides  that  it 
makes  virtue  the  servant  of  opinion,  usually  grows 
weaker  at  the  approach  of  death,  and  which,  however 
it  may  surmount  the  love  of  existence  in  the  heat  of 
-;*t)attle,  or  in  the  moment  of  public  observation,  can 
seldom  be  expected  to  operate  with  much  force  on  the 
retired  duties  of  a  private  station. 

"In  affirming  that  infidelity  is  unfavourable  to  the 
higher  class  of  virtues,  we  are  supported,  as  well  by  facts, 
as  by  reasoning.  We  should  be  sorry  to  load  our  ad 
versaries  with  unmerited  reproach  :  but  to  what  history? 
to  what  record  will  they  appeal,  for  the  traits  of  moral 
greatness  exhibited  by  their  disciples  1  Where  shall  we 
look  for  the  trophies  of  infidel  magnanimity,  or  atheistical 
virtue  ?  Not  that  we  mean  to  accuse  them  of  inactivity  : 
they  have  recently  filled  the  world  with  the  fame  of 
their  exploits  ;  exploits  of  a  different  kind  indeed,  but  of 
imperishable  memory  and  disastrous  lustre. 

"  Though  it  is  confessed,  great  and  splendid  actions 
are  not  the  ordinary  employment  of  life,  but  must,  from 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  87 

their  nature,  be  reserved  for  high  and  eminent  occasions  ; 
yet  that  system  is  essentially  defective  which  leaves  no 
room  for  their  production.  They  are  important,  both 
from  their  immediate  advantage  and  their  remoter  in- 
iluence.  They  often  save,  and  always  illustrate,  the 
ag-e  and  nation  in  which  they  appear.  They  raise 
the  standard  of  morals  ;  they  arrest  the  progress  of 
degeneracy  ;  they  diffuse  a  lustre  over  the  path  of  life  : 
monuments  of  the  greatness  of  the  human  soul,  they 
present  to  the  world  the  august  image  of  virtue  in  her 
sublimest  form,  from  which  streams  of  light  and  glory 
issue  to  remote  times  and  ages,  while  their  commemor 
ation,  by  the  pen  of  historians  and  poets,  awakens,  in  dis 
tant  bosoms,  the  sparks  of  kindred  excellence. 

"  Combine  the  frequent  and  familiar  perpetration  of 
atrocious  deeds  with  the  dearth  of  great  and  generous 
actions,  and  you  ha ve  the  exact  picture  of  that  condition 
of  society  which  complete  the  degradation  of  the  speciess — 
the  frightful  contrast  of  dwarfish  virtues  and  gigantic 
vices,  where  every  thing  good  is  mean  and  little,  and 
every  thing  evil  is  rank  and  luxuriant :  a  dead  and 
sickening  uniformity  prevails,  broken  only  at  intervals 
by  volcanic  eruptions  of  anarchy  and  crime." 

We  have  before  us  the  views  of  another  author,  so 
fully  concurring  in  the  tenet  under  consideration,  and  so 
amply  confirming  it,  by  his  lucid  expositions  of  sacred 
truth,  that  we  cannot  forbear  inserting  his  excellent  re 
marks.  The  author,  (Dr.  Wardlaw,  of  Glasgow,)  in 
one,  of  a  series  of  "  Lectures  on  Christian  Ethics,"  re 
cently  delivered  by  him,  has  the  following  language  : — 

"  As  there  is  a  necessary  harmony  between  the  divine 
character  and  the  divine  will,  whatever  contains  in  it 


RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

an  intimation  that « God  is  light,'  and  that c  God  is  love,' 
may  be  regarded  as  containing  in  it  also  a  voice  to  all 
his  intelligent  creatures.  '  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy  ;' 
1  Be  ye  merciful,  as  your  Father,  who  is  in  heaven,  is 
merciful.'  This  is,  in  truth,  the  sum  of  human  virtue, 
and  the  sum  of  the  motives  to  the  practice  of  it :  and 
this,  were  the  ears  of  men  but  open  to  hear  it,  is  the 
concurrent  voice  of  providence,  and  of  revelation.  By 
this  remark,  I  am  naturally  led  to  the  proper  subject  of 
the  present  discourse,  the  identity  of  morality  and  re 
ligion  ;  a  subject,  which  the  preceding  observations 
have  not  only  been  intended  to  introduce,  but  in  part 
prospectively,  to  illustrate. 

"The  words  which  I  read  as  my  text,  express,  with 
clearness  and  emphasis,  this  identity  ;  '  This  is  the  love 
of  God,  that  we  keep  his  commandments.'  The  '  keep 
ing  of  God's  commandments'  is  a  comprehensive  defi 
nition  of  morality ;  <  the  love  of  God'  is  the  sum  of  re 
ligious  principle  ;  and  the  text  affirms,  '  This  is  the 
love  of  God,  that  we  keep  his  commandments.'  The 
meaning  is,  that  there  is  no  love  of  God  without  the 
keeping  of  his  commandments  ;  and  that  there  is  no 
keeping  of  his  commandments  without  love  to  God  :  a 
statement  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing  as  this 

Other,  THAT  THERE  IS  NO  RELIGION  WITHOUT  MO 
RALITY,  AND  THAT  THERE  IS  NO  MORALITY  WITHOUT 

RELIGION.  He  who  loves  God  keeps  the  command 
ments  in  principle ;  he  who  keeps  the  commandments 
loves  God  in  action.  Love  is  obedience  in  the  heart ; 
obedience  is  love  in  the  life.  Morality,  then,  is  re 
ligion  in  practice  ;  religion  is  morality  in  principle. 
lt  I  know  few  things  more  preposterous  in  theory,  or 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  89 

more  mischievous  in  effect,  than  the  prevailing  divorce 
between  religion  and  morality :  the  manner  in  which 
they  are  not  only  spoken  of,  in  the  current  vocabulary 
of  the  world,  but  even  treated  in  the  disquisitions  of  philo 
sophy,  as  if  they  were  separable  and  separate  things. 
As  to  the  world,  you  cannot  but  be  aware  how  indefinite 
is  the  meaning  of  virtue,  and  with  what  variety  of  ap 
plication,  but  in  them  all  with  what  convenient  vague 
ness  and  generality,  the  designation  is  bestowed  of  a 
good  man.  On  Change,  the  good  man  is  the  man  who 
has  sufficient  means,  and  sufficient  honour,  to  pay  his 
debts.  In  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  life,  its  most  com 
mon  application  is  to  the  relative  and  social  virtues,  and 
especially  those  which  impart  confidence  between  man 
and  man ;  without  which,  it  is  universally  felt,  the 
transactions  of  business  would  be  at  a  stand,  the  mutual 
dependence  of  men  upon  each  other  could  have  no  salu 
tary  operation,  and  the  very  frame-work  of  society 
would  be  dissolved. 

;-  These  virtues,  the  virtues  of  truth,  and  integrity,  and 
honour,  especially  when  united  with  generosity  and 
practical  kindness,  will  secure  the  designation,  although 
there  should  be  no  very  rigid  adherence  to  those  of  tem 
perance  and  chastity  ;  but  if  these,  in  any  unusual  de 
gree,  are  united  with  the  former,  the  man  becomes  a 
paragon  of  goodness,  the  very  best  of  men,  and  sure  of 
heaven,  if  any  on  earth  are.  The  union  described  is  a 
rarity,  except  under  the  superadded  influence  of  religious 
principle  :  but  we  shall  suppose  it.  We  shall  suppose  a 
man  personally  chaste  and  sober  in  his  habits  of  life, 
amiable  in  its  domestic  relations,  honourable  in  all  its 
transactions,  veracious  in  every  utterance,  and  faithful 

8* 


90  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS    AND 

in  every  trust ;  and  withal,  humane  and  generous  in  his 
disposition  and  practice  ;  what,  it  may  be  added,  can  be 
wished  for  more?  'What  lacketh  he  yet?'  I  answer, 
in  one  word,  godliness ;  that  which  is  entitled  to  the 
precedence  of  all  these  virtues — nay,  more,  that  which 
ought  to  preside  over  them  all,  and  to  infuse  its  spirit  in 
to  them  all,  and  without  which  they  are  destitute  of  the 
very  first  principle  of  true  morality. 

"  But  it  is  not  in  the  customary  phraseology  of  the 
world  only,  and  the  loose  conceptions  of  which  that 
phraseology  is  the  vehicle,  that  religion  and  morality 
are  severed.  It  is  lamentable  to  find,  in  the  writings  of 
ethical  philosophers,  the  same  dissociating  principle ; 
discussions  on  morals,  such  as  would  require  no  very  ma 
terial  alteration  to  accommodate  them  to  atheism ;  and 
even,  at  times,  in  the  treatises  of  philosophical  divines,  so 
indistinct  a  recognition  of  the  basis  on  which  the  whole 
system  of  ethics  ought  ever  to  rest.  It  is  far  otherwise 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures :  and  I  cannot  but  regard  the 
manner  in  this,  and  other  respects,  in  which  these  writ 
ings  uniformly  treat  the  subject  of  morals,  as  forming 
one,  and  not  the  least  considerable,  of  the  internal 
evidences  of  their  divine  original.  It  is  one  of  the  dis 
tinguishing  peculiarities  of  all  Bible  morality,  that  it  be 
gins  with  God, — that  it  makes  godliness  its  first  and 
fundamental  principle.  The  first  commandment,  in  the 
moral  code  of  the  Bible,  is  a  requisition  for  God :  l  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all 
thy  soul,  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind.' 
Thus  God  stands  first.  For  him  is  claimed  the  throne 
of  the  heart.  The  foundation  of  all  morals  is  laid  in 
devotion :  no  right  moral  principle  is  there  admitted  to 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  91 

exist,  independent  of  a  primary  and  supreme  regard  to 
Deity.  No  true  goodness  is  acknowledged  without  this. 
There  is  no  such  anomaly  to  be  found  there,  as  that 
which  meets  us  so  frequently  in  the  nomenclature  of  the 
world's  morality — a  good  heart,  or  a  good  man,  without 
the  principles  and  sentiments  of  godliness.  According  to 
its  representations,  the  religious  principle  is  the  first  prin 
ciple  of  all  morals  ; — a  good  heart  is  a  heart  in  which 
the  fear  and  the  love  of  God  reign  ;  and  a  good  man,  a 
man  of  whose  life  the  love  and  the  fear  of  God  are  the 
uniform  regulators.  Every  thing  assuming  the  name  of 
virtue,  that  has  not  these  principles  for  its  foundation,  is 
there  set  aside,  as  coin  that  has  not  the  image  and 
superscription  of  Heaven,  '  reprobate  silver' — '  weighed 
in  the  balances  and  found  wanting.' " 

The  incidental  remarks  of  this  author,  respecting  the 
virtuous  deportment  of  some  worldly  men,  might  be  re 
ferred  to  as  shedding  light  upon  the  concession  before 
alluded  to  on  the  same  subject.  But  this  point  is  so 
fully  and  beautifully  unfolded  by  another  distinguished 
living  writer,  and  his  remarks  are  so  strikingly  confirm 
atory  of  the  implied  views  of  Washington,  that  the  in 
dulgence  of  our  readers  must  be  asked  for  a  few  of  his 
eloquent  observations.  The  hand  of  a  master  will  be 
traced  in  the  graphic  sketches  annexed. 

In  a  Discourse  on  "  The  Emptiness  of  Natural  Vir 
tue,"  Dr.  Chalmers  writes  :  "  Let  us  suppose  the  heart  to 
be  furnished,  not  merely  with  the  finest  sensibilities  of 
our  nature,  but  with  its  most  upright  and  honourable 
principles.  Let  us  conceive  a  man,  whose  pulse  beats 
high  with  the  pride  of  integrity ;  whose  every  word  car 
ries  security  along  with  it ;  whose  faithfulness  in  the 


92  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

walks  of  business,  has  stood  the  test  of  many  fluctua 
tions  ;  who,  amid  all  the  varieties  of  his  fortune,  has 
nobly  sustained  the  glories  of  an  untainted  character ; 
and  whom  we  see,  by  the  salutations  of  the  market 
place,  to  be  acknowledged  and  revered  by  all,  as  the 
most  respectable  of  the  citizens.  Now,  which  of  the  two 
great  regions  of  human  character  shall  we  make  him  to 
occupy  ?  This  question  depends  on  'another.  May  all 
this  manly  elevation  of  soul,  and  of  sentiment,  stand  dis 
united  in  the  same  heart,  with  the  influence  of  the 
authority  of  God,  or  that  love  of  God  which  is  the  keep 
ing  of  the  commandments?  The  discerning  eye  of 
Hume  saw  that  it  could  ;  and  he  tells  us,  that  natural 
honesty  of  temper  is  a  better  security  for  the  faithfulness 
of  a  man's  doings,  than  all  the  authority  of  religion 
over  him.  We  deny  the  assertion  ;  but  the  distinction 
between  the  two  principles  on  which  it  proceeds  is  indis 
putable.  There  is  a  principle  of  honour,  apart  in  the 
human  mind  altogether  from  any  reference  to  the  reali 
ties  of  a  spiritual  world.  It  varies  in  the  intensity  of  its 
operation,  with  different  individuals.  It  has  the  chance 
of  being  more  entire,  when  kept  aloof  from  the  tempta 
tions  of  poverty  ;  and  therefore  it  is,  that  we  more  fre 
quently  meet  with  it  in  the  upper  and  middling 
classes  of  life.  And  we  can  conceive  it  so  strong  in  its 
original  influence,  or  so  grateful  to  the  possessor,  from 
the  elevating  consciousness  which  goes  along  with  it, 
or  so  nourished  by  the  voice  of  an  applauding  world,  as 
to  throw  all  the  glories  of  a  romantic  chivalry  over  the 
character  of  him  with  whom  God  is  as  much  unthought 
of,  as  he  is  unseen.  We  are  far  from  refusing  our  admir 
ation.  But  we  are  saying,  that  the  Being  who  brought 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON  93 

this  noble  specimen  of  our  nature  into  existence ;  who 
fitted  his  heart  for  all  its  high  and  generous  emotions ; 
who  threw  a  theatre  around  him  for  the  display  and 
exercise  of  his  fine  moral  accomplishments ;  who  furnish 
ed  each  of  his  admirers  with  a  heart  to  appreciate  his 
worth,  and  a  voice  to  pour  into  his  ear  the  flattering 
expression  of  it;  the  Being  whose  hand  upholds  and 
perpetuates  the  whole  of  this  illustrious  exhibition,  may 
all  the  while  be  forgotten,  and  unnoticed  as  a  thing  of  no 
consequence.  We  are  merely  saying,  that  the  man  whose 
heart  is  occupied  with  a  sentiment  of  honour,  and  is  at 
the  same  time  unoccupied  with  a  sense  of  Him,  who  is 
the  first  and  greatest  of  spiritual  beings,  is  not  a  spiritual 
man.  But,  if  not  spiritual,  we  are  told  in  the  Bible, 
that  there  are  only  two  terms  in  the  alternatiye,  and  he 
must  be  carnal.  And  the  God  whom  he  has  disregard 
ed  in  time,  will  find,  that  in  the  praises  and  enjoyments 
of  time,  he  has  gotten  all  his  reward,  and  that  he  owes 
him  no  recompense  in  Eternity. 

Again  ;  "  Now  it  carries  us  at  once  to  the  bottom  of 
this  delusion  to  observe,  that  though  the  religious  princi 
ple  can  never  exist,  without  the  amiable  and  virtuous 
conduct  of  the  New  Testament,  yet  that  conduct  may, 
in  some  measure,  be  maintained,  without  the  religious 
principle.  A  man  may  be  led  to  precisely  the  same 
conduct,  on  the  impulse  of  many  different  principles  :  — 
he  may  be  gentle,  because  it  is  a  prescription  of  the  divine 
law ;  or,  he  may  be  gentle,  because  he  is  naturally  of  a 
peaceful,  or  indolent  constitution  ;  or,  he  may  be  gentle, 
because  he  sees  it  to  be  an  amiable  gracefulness,  with 
which  he  wishes  to  adorn  his  own  character ;  or,  he 
may  be  gentle,  because  it  is  the  ready  way  of  perpetuating 


94  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

the  friendship  of  those  around  him  ;  or,  he  may  be  gen 
tle,  because  taught  to  observe  it  as  a  part  of  courtly  and 
fashionable  deportment,  and  what  was  implanted  by 
education,  may  come  in  time  to  be  confirmed,  by  habit 
and  experience.  Now,  it  is  only  under  the  first  of  these 
principles,  that  there  is  any  religion  in  gentleness.  The 
other  principles  may  produce  all  the  outward  appear 
ance  of  this  virtue,  and  much  even  of  its  inward  com 
placency,  and  yet  be  as  distinct  from  the  religious  prin 
ciple,  as  they  are  distinct  from  one  another.  To  infer 
the  strength  of  the  religious  principle,  from  the  taste  of 
the  human  mind,  for  what  is  graceful  and  lovely  in  cha 
racter,  would  just  be  as  preposterous,  as  to  infer  it  from 
the  admiration  of  a  fine  picture,  or  a  cultivated  landscape. 
They  are  not  to  be  confounded.  They  occupy  a  differ 
ent  place,  even  in  the  classifications  of  philosophy.  We 
do  not  deny,  that  the  admiration  of  what  is  fine  in 
character,  is  a  principle  of  a  higher  order,  than  the  ad 
miration  of  what  is  fine  in  external  scenery.  So  is  a 
taste  for  what  is  beautiful,  in  the  prospect  before  us,  a  prin 
ciple  of  a  higher  order,  than  a  taste  for  the  sensualities  of 
the  epicure.  But  they,  one  and  all  of  them,  stand  at  a 
wide  distance  from  the  religious  principle  :  and  whether 
it  be  taste,  or  temper,  or  the  love  of  popularity,  or  the 
high  impulse  of  honourable  feeling,  or  even  the  love  of 
truth,  and  a  natural  principle  of  integrity  ;  the  virtues  in 
question  may  be  so  unconnected  with  religion,  as  to 
flourish  in  the  world,  and  be  rewarded  by  its  admiration, 
even  though  God  were  expunged  from  the  belief,  and 
immortality  from  the  prospects  of  the  species." 

In  these   extracts  we  have  the  opinions   contained 
in  the  Address  fully  explained,  and  its  doctrines  carried 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  95 

out  and  established.  In  the  ampler  illustrations  'and 
minuter  developments  furnished  by  these  writers,  the 
intelligent  reader  will,  no  doubt,  take  pleasure  in  tracing 
the  intrinsic  meaning  and  legitimate  bearing  of  Washing 
ton's  principles — by  which  he  must  have  been  conducted 
to  similar  conclusions,  had  it  comported  with  the  object 
before  him  to  expatiate  in  the  same  field,  over  which  it 
was  then  professional  privilege  and  duty  to  range  at 
large.  The  views  maintained  by  him  and  them  are 
manifestly  the  same.  They  all  teach,  substantially,  that 
without  religion  there  is  no  morality,  through  lack  of 
motive  to  produce  the  result.  Or  if  this  effect  may 
exist  in  a  measure,  in  the  case  of  some  individuals 
sharing  special  propitious  influences —  such  a  life  will  be 
confined  to  a  few  favoured  persons — whilst  the  mass  of 
mankind,  cut  off  from  their  advantages,  the  social  state 
must  be  dissolved  through  the  inevitable  prevalence  of 
crime.  The  special  application  of  the  doctrine  to  the 
interests  of  another  life,  which  it  belonged  more  particu 
larly  to  some  of  the  writers  to  enforce-  is  a  fair  use  of 
the  principle,  and  one  which  properly  attaches  to  its  due 
practical  exhibition.  The  doctrine  then,  we  say,  was 
essentially  the  same  as  held  by  them  all.  In  the  views 
of  the  one.  we  had,  as  it  were,  the  vital  seed  of  immortal 
truth  ;  in  the  writings  of  the  others,  we  have  the  full 
blown  and  variegated  flower.  In  the  one,  we  had  the 
unwrought,  massy  bullion ;  in  the  others,  we  have  the 
same  beat  out  and  fashioned  variously  for  ornament 
and  for  use.  Considering  the  different  circumstances 
and  aims  of  the  writers,  the  correspondence  in  their 
productions  will  appear  sufficiently  remarkable,  and  in 
dicating  a  common  fountain  as  the  source  of  opinions  so 


96  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

harmonious  and  consistent  with  each  other.  If  it  should 
be  objected  by  any  that  the  statements  contained  in  the 
Address  are  brief  and  compressed,  we  may  answer,  that 
it  was  obviously  fit,  in  such  a  document,  that  the  author, 
feeling  the  responsibility  of  his  peculiar  position,  should 
commend  the  subject  of  religion  to  his  countrymen.  But 
it  was  equally  fit  that  hints,  merely,  should  be  thrown 
out.  More  than  this,  the  spirit  of  the  age  would  not 
bear.  Religion  was  regarded  with  jealousy  in  connexion 
with  politics.  There  was  necessity,  then,  for  caution,  in 
preparing  such  a  paper  as  the  one  before  us.  While 
fidelity  demanded  decision  and  explicitness  on  the  one 
hand,  prudence  required  moderation  and  generality  of 
statement,  on  the  other.  There  must  be  truth  in  the 
exposition,  but  truth  in  its  least  offensive  form. 

That  Washington  was  under  the  influence  of  these 
considerations  is  manifest.  Had  it  been  fit  that  he 
should,  on  such  an  occasion,  speak  out  more  fully — that 
he  should  enlarge  on  the  truth,  the  reality,  and  the  efficacy 
of  religion,  and  of  morality,  as  its  genuine  fruit — would 
he  have  wanted  words  or  thoughts  ?  Did  not  a  mind, 
teeming  with  clear  and  rational  conceptions  on  these 
topics,  prompt  the  ardent  language  used,  when  he  says  :— 
"  A  VOLUME  could  not  trace  all  their  connexions  with 
private  and  public  felicity" — It  was  not,  then,  the 
want  of  sympathy  with  the  subject,  or  the  lack  of 
knowledge ;  but  the  nature  of  the  document,  and  the 
proprieties  of  his  station,  which  restrained  his  usually 
prolific  pen. 

Without  regarding  the  question  of  Washington's  faith 
in  the  word  of  God,  as  needing  any  additional  confirm 
ation,  we  will  yet  quote  one  brief  paragraph  from  his 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  97 

last  will  and  testament,  as  furnishing  a  touching  proof 
of  his  sincerity  : — 

"  To  the  Rev.  now  Bryan  Lord  Fairfax*  I  give  a 
Bible,  in  three  large  folio  volumes,  with  notes  presented 
to  me  by  the  Right  Rev.  Thomas  Wilson\,  bishop  of 
Sodor  and  Man. " 

Gen.  Washington  wrote  the  will,  from  which  the 
above  was  taken,  but  a  few  months  before  his  death. 
Admonished,  by  the  rapid  approach  of  old  age,  to  set 
his  house  in  order,  and  prepare  for  another  world,  he 
makes,  among  other  bequests,  the  very  significant  one 
before  us,  in  favour  of  an  old,  valued,  and  highly  respect 
able  friend.  He,  doubtless,  thought  the  legacy  worthy 
of  his  acceptance. 

We  shall  conclude  the  present  chapter  with  the  testi 
mony  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall.  He  had  been  the 
personal  friend,  the  frequent  associate,  and  was  now  the 
biographer  of  Washington.  With  the  best  opportunities 

*  Mr.  Fairfax  was  an  Episcopal  clergyman.  During  the  latter 
years  of  his  life,  he  became  the  eighth  and  last  Lord  Fairfax — the 
title  having  descended  to  him  through  Robert  Fairfax,  from  Thomas 
Lord  Fairfax,  ofGreenway  Court,  Frederick  county,  Virginia.  His 
own  residence  was  in  Fairfax  county. 

f  Was  not  Gen.  Washington  mistaken  in  ascribing  this  gift  to  the 
Right  Rev.  Thomas  Wilson,  Bishop  of  Sodor  and  Man  ?  The  bishop 
died  in  March,  1755,  some  months  before  Braddock's  defeat — anterior 
to  which  event,  Washington  did  not  enjoy  much  celebrity.  Bishop 
Wilson  could  scarcely  have  known  that  such  a  person  was  in  being. 
But  the  bishop  left  an  only  son — the  Rev.  Thomas  Wilson,  D.D.,  a  man 
of  wealth,  and  like  his  honoured  father,  distinguished  for  piety  and  ac 
tive  benevolence.  He  died,  an  old  man,  in  the  year  17S4,  when 
Washington's  fame  had  filled  Europe.  Attracted  by  the  character  of 
the  American  Commander-in-chief)  he  was  no  doubt  the  author  of  the 
present.  The  Bible  sent  may  have  belonged  to  the  bishop,  his 
excellent  father. 

9 


98  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

of  learning  his  opinions,  and  observing  his  habits,  he 


"  Without  making  ostentatious  professions  of  religion,* 
he  (Washington)  was  a  sincere  believer  in  the  Christian 
faith,  and  a  truly  devout  man."t 

*  What  the  precise  import  of  this  disclaimer  is,  touching  "  ostenta 
tious  professions  of  religion,"  does  not  seem  to  be  perfectly  clear.  If 
the  allusion  is  to  Washington's  reserve  and  taciturnity  on  this,  as  on 
other  subjects,  in  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  life,  then  the  remark  is  no 
doubt  just.  His  nice  sense  of  propriety  always  prevented  him  from 
obtruding  his  religious  opinions  upon  his  best  friends,  much  more  was 
he  restrained  by  his  knowledge  of  men  from  troubling  those  with  the 
subject  to  whom  he  knew  it  to  be  strange  or  disagreeable.  He  would 
not  thus  "cast  his  pearls  before  swine:"  But  certainly  no  public 
man,  in  this,  or  in  any  other  country,  ever  availed  himself  more  uni 
formly  of  every  fit  occasion  for  declaring  his  sentiments.  Seldom,  it 
would  appear,  did  he  suffer  an  opportunity  to  escape  him,  without 
bearing  his  solemn  testimony  to  the  importance  and  necessity  of 
religion.  In  this  respect,  he  truly  "  let  his  light  shine  before  men." 

f  Life  of  Washington,  vol.  ii.,  p.  445,  abridged  edition. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  99 


CHAPTER    III. 

HIS    VIEWS    OP    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE. 

THERE  are  few  doctrines  of  religion  about  which  men 
are  more  divided,  than  that  of  the  Providence  of  God. 
They  are  indeed  generally  united  as  to  the  fact  of  a 
providence  exercised  over  the  world,  but  are  very  widely 
separated  in  opinion  as  to  its  nature.  According  to  the 
system  of  some,  there  is  a  general,  but  not  a*j)articular} 
Providence,  displayed  in  the  affairs  of  men.  The  Deity 
is  regarded  as  having  originally  impressed  upon  the  ma 
chinery  of  the  universe  those  great  laws  which  he  in 
tended  should  govern  it,  and  having  done  so,  leaves  it 
to  roll  on  with  a  process  so  uniform  and  settled,  that  no 
departure  from  its  great  leading  operations  may  ever  be 
expected. 

That  this  is  a  cold  and  comfortless  speculation,  must 
be  admitted  by  all.  But  it  is  as  irrational,  as  it  is  gloomy. 
It  certainly  is  entirely  at  variance  with  the  animating 
disclosures  of  Revelation.  Indeed  the  whole  theory  is 
based  upon  a  gratuitous  assumption,  unsupported,  save 
by  the  fancy  of  its  framers.  For  how  is  it  known  that 
the  Author  of  all  things  has  so  settled  and  fixed  the  laws 
of  his  kingdom  that  the  possibility  of  departure  has  been 
excluded.  How  do  we  know,  in  fact,  what  is  uniformity, 
and  what  irregularity?  That  which  we  may  call  a 


100  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

detour,  in  the  march  of  his  laws,  may  be  only  the  result 
of  a  primeval  impulse  given  them.  It  is  impossible  for 
us  to  know  what  principles  the  Almighty  has  thought 
proper  to  adopt  for  the  government  of  his  universe.*  We 
talk  of  the  order  of  Nature,  and  of  the  great  principles 
which  prevail  therein,  and  of  the  straight-forward  course, 
and  the  overwhelming  energy  of  its  powers ;  and  having 
settled  it,  in  our  minds,  that  such  is  the  system  adopted 
by  the  Creator,  we  forthwith  apply  this  ideal  standard 
to  every  thing  extraordinary  in  the  occurrences  of 
earth.  Thus  a  miracle,  no  matter  how  unexceptionable 
in  regard  to  the  design  of  its  performance,  or  how  well 
attested  by  credible  witnesses — is  at  once  cried  down 
as  a  fraud  upon  the  senses,  because,  forsooth,  it  is  in  oppo 
sition  to  a  theory  having  for  its  basis  our  experience  of 
the  uniformity  of  Nature.  It  is,  in  the  mean  time,  for 
gotten  by  the  objector,  that  his  experience  is  very  limited, 
and  that  the  experience  of  another  man  may  be  the  very 
reverse  of  his.  He  rejects  what  is  credibly  reported  to 
him  as  extraordinary,  because  he  has  never  seen,  or 
heard,  or  felt,  any  thing  of  the  kind,  yet  is  strangely 
offended  because  his  informer  believes  what  he  has  seen, 
heard,  and  felt.  The  same  inconsistency  marks  the 
decision  to  which  some  men  come,  in  regard  to  events, 
involving  merely  a  digression,  as  it  were,  and  not  a  sus 
pension,  of  the  laws  of  the  universe.  Every  thing  of 
this  kind,  in  the  course  of  events,  is  held  to  be  strange 

*  "  Now,  general  laws,"  (says  the  Edinburgh  Review,  No.  100,) 
"  however,  for  the  most  part,  undiscovered  by  us,  govern  alike  the  coi>- 
stituton  of  our  nature,  and  the  course  of  events,"  &c. — Even  the 
general  laws,  then,  which  govern  us  are  undiscovered^ 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  101 

and  unaccountable,  and  rather  to  be  ascribed  to  chance, 
or  accident,  than  to  any  direct  agency  of  God. 

Whilst  we,  by  no  means,  call  in  question  the  syste 
matic  action  of  Deity,  in  carrying  on  the  affairs  of  his 
universal  kingdom,  yet  we  do  object  to  a  rigid  adjust 
ment  of  the  principles  of  his  system  by  the  mere  dictum 
of  human  authority.  We  do  not  doubt  that  there  is  a 
beautiful  order  in  the  Divine  operations,  and  that  they  all 
tend,  with  infinite  harmony,  to  some  great  and  good  re 
sult.  And  yet  we  are  assured  that  the  Almighty  is  as 
methodical,  in  deviating  from  his  ordinary  course,  as  he  is 
in  the  most  regular  and  uniform  of  his  processes. 

It  is  not,  then,  in  disparagement  of  a  general,  that  we 
contend  for  a  particular  Providence.  The  terms,  in 
truth,  should  not  be  set  in  opposition  to  each  other.  The 
Providence  of  God  is  both  general  and  particular.  He 
acts  by  general  laws  in  the  government  of  his  universe, 
physical  and  moral ;  and  yet  can  bend  them,  at  any  mo 
ment,  to  the  production  of  any  given  result,  as  he  may,  in 
his  sovereign  pleasure,  see  fit ;  whether  at  the  beseeching 
voice  of  his  humble  and  dependant  creatures,  or  from  other 
motives  which  may  arise  to  sway  his  Divine  agency.  Nor 
is  there,  in  all  this,  any  want  of  foresight,  or  any  thing  like 
variableness,  or  mutability  implied.  It  is  Deity  in  motion, 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  greatest  amount  of  good,  in 
the  way  which  seems  best  in  his  sight.  "  Many  persons," 
says  a  judicious  writer,  "  when  they  hear  any  event  spoken 
of  as  providential,  seem  to  understand  it  as  signifying, 
that  all  the  circumstances  which  have  conduced  to  bring  it 
about,  have  been  arranged  for  that  particular  purpose, 
and  if  left  to  their  natural  course,  they  would  have  pro 
duced  different  results.  But  I  consider  this  to  be  a  com- 
9* 


102  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS  AND 

plete  misapprehension.  The  doctrine  of  an  over-ruling 
Providence  does  not  imply  the  interruption  of  the  regular 
operations  of  cause  and  effect  in  nature,  any  more  than 
our  seeing  these  operations  proceed  regularly,  proves  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  over-ruling  Providence.'5 
Here  we  have  the  sublimity  of  the  general,  with  the 
comfort  of  the  particular  Providence  of  God.  He  now 
wheels  the  planets  in  their  courses,  and  preserves  the 
host  of  heaven,  in  unfading  splendour,  and  yet  guards  the 
feeble  sparrow,  so  that  it  cannot  fall  to  the  ground  with 
out  Him.  He  preserves  the  seasons,  in  their  unwearied 
rounds,  causing  summer  and  winter,  night  and  day, 
seed-time  and  harvest,  to  follow  each  other  in  regular 
and  constant  successions — and  yet  he  controls  the  ele 
ments  at  his  pleasure.  When  he  would  punish,  he 
"  makes  the  heavens  above,  brass,  and  the  earth  be 
neath,  iron."  He  "  commands  the  clouds  that  they 
rain  no  rain."  He  "  sends  the  palmer- worm,  the  cater 
pillar,  and  the  locust."  Sometimes  he  "  causes  it  to  rain 
upon  one  city,  and  not  upon  another — to  rain  upon  one 
piece,  and  not  upon  another."  Or,  would  he  reward  and 
bless,  he  then  reverses  these  dispensations,  and  causes 
those  who  obey  Him  to  rejoice  in  all  "  good  things." 

Such  we  conceive  to  be  the  testimony  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  on  the  subject  before  us,  and,  in  accordance 
with  these  views,  have  been  the  sentiments  of  the  majo 
rity  of  believers  in  Christianity. 

That  such  were  the  views  of  the  distinguished  subject 
of  our  present  work,  admits  of  evidence  as  satisfactory 
as  the  reflection  is  gratifying.  The  abundant  proof  is 
furnished  by  his  writings  of  every  date.  It  was  one  of 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  103 

the  earliest  and  the  latest  of  those  convictions,  by  which 
his  life  was  materially  governed. 

It  is  proposed  to  draw  from  his  writings,  published* 
and  unpublished,  the  proofs  of  his  opinions.  In  these 
productions  of  his  diligent  pen,  marked,  as  they  are,  by 
the  frankness  arid  sincerity  which  ever  characterized 
him,  we  have  his  undissembled  thoughts  and  feelings  on 
this,  as  on  other  topics.  If  our  quotations  should  be  nu 
merous,  we  hope  they  will  prove  interesting  for  the  piety 
of  the  allusions,  as  well  as  for  their  historical  associations. 

In  a  letter  to  Gov.  Dinwiddie,  dated  Great  Meadows, 
June  10,  1754,  when  in  the  23d  year  of  his  age,  we 
have  the  following  striking  acknowledgment  of  a  parti 
cular  Providential  interposition,  in  supplying,  with  pro 
visions,  the  troops  recently  placed  under  his  command. 

"  We  have  been  six  days  without  flour,  and  there  is 
none  upon  the  road  for  our  relief  that  we  know  of,  though 
I  have,  by  repeated  expresses,  given  him  timely  notice. 
We  have  not  provisions  of  any  sort  enough  in  camp  to 
serve  us  two  days.  Once  before  we  should  have  been 
four  days  without  provisions,  if  Providence  had  not  sent 
a  trader  from  the  Ohio  to  our  relief,  for  whose  flour  I  was 
obliged  to  give  twenty-one  shillings  and  eight-pence  per 
hundred." 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother,  John  A.  Washington,  written 
a  few  days  after  Braddock's  defeat,  he  says,  in  reference 
to  his  own  wonderful  preservation  on  that  memorable 
occasion : 

"  By  the  all-powerful  dispensations  of  Providence  I 
have  been  protected  beyond  all  human  probability,  or 

*  We  shall  mainly  rely  upon  his  "Writings."  as  recently  edited  and 
published  by  J.  Sparks. 


104  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

expectation  ;  for  I  had  four  bullets  through  my  coat,  and 
two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  escaped  unhurt,  although 
death  was  levelling  my  companions  on  every  side  of 
me." 

Was  there  not,  indeed,  in  that  marvellous  preservation, 
a  most  signal  proof  given  of  the  particular  Providence  of 
Gcd  ]  The  battle-field  that  day,  Avas  indeed  a  field  of 
blood.  The  French  and  Indians  firing  from  ravines, 
and  from  behind  trees,  with  a  deliberate  and  deadly  aim, 
produced  an  unparalleled  carnage  among  the  British  and 
Provincial  troops.  These  seemed  to  be  engaged  with  an 
invisible  foe.  For  three  hours,  however,  did  they  main 
tain  the  unequal  conflict,  but  in  much  confusion  and 
dismay.  "  The  officers,"  says  one,  in  describing  the  ac 
tion,  "  were  absolutely  sacrificed  by  their  good  behaviour, 
advancing  sometimes  in  bodies,  sometimes  separately, 
hoping,  by  such  example,  to  engage  the  soldiers  to  follow 
them,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  General  (Braddock)  had 
five  horses  shot  under  him,  and  at  last  received  a  wound 
through  his  right  arm  into  his  lungs,  of  which  he  died 
the  13th  inst.  Secretary  Shirley  was  shot  through  the 
head  ;  Captain  Morris,  wounded.  Colonel  Washington 
had  two  horses  shot  under  him,  and  his  clothes  shot 
through  in  several  places,  behaving,  the  whole  time,  with 
the  greatest  courage  and  resolution.  Sir  Peter  Halket 
was  killed  upon  the  spot.  Colonel  Burton,  and  Sir  John 
St.  Clair,  were  wounded." — "  In  addition  to  these,"  says 
another,  "  the  other  field-officers  wounded  were  Lieuten 
ant  Colonel  Gage,  Colonel  Orme,  Major  Sparks,  and 
Brigade-Major  Halket.  Ten  captains  were  killed,  and 
five  wounded ;  fifteen  lieutenants  killed,  and  twenty- 
two  wounded ;  the  whole  number  of  officers  in  the  en- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  105 

gagement  was  eighty-six,  of  whom  twenty-six  were  killed, 
and  thirty -seven  wounded.  The  killed  and  wounded  of  the 
privates  amounted  to  seven  hundred  and  fourteen.  Of 
these,  at  least  one  half  were  supposed  to  be  killed."* 
Washington,  but  partially  recovered  from  a  severe  sick 
ness,  was  one  of  General  Braddock's  aids-de-camp.  Early 
in  the  action,  the  other  aids  were  killed  or  wounded,  so 
that  the  whole  duty  of  distributing  the  General's  orders 
devolved  on  him.  He  was,  consequently,  exposed  con 
tinually  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  Dr.  Craik,  the  friend 
of  Washington  from  his  youth,  and  who  was  with  him 
in  this  battle,  has  been  often  heard  to  say,  "  I  expected 
every  moment  to  see  him  fall.  Nothing  but  the  super 
intending  care  of  Providence  could  have  saved  him  from 
the  fate  of  all  around  him."  There  is  a  tradition,  resting 
on  the  authority  of  this  same  individual,  which  may 
deserve  notice  in  this  connexion.  "In  the  year  1770, 
fifteen  years  after  the  battle  of  the  Monongahela,  just 
referred  to,  Dr.  Craik  and  Washington  travelled  together 
on  an  expedition  to  the  Western  country,  with  a  party 
of  woodsmen,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  wild  lands. 
While  near  the  junction  of  the  Great  Kenhawa  and 
Ohio  Rivers,  a  company  of  Indians  came  to  them  with 
an  interpreter,  at  the  head  of  whom  was  an  aged  and 
venerable  chief.  This  person  made  known  to  them,  by 
the  interpreter,  that  hearing  Colonel  Washington  was  in 
that  region,  he  had  come  a  long  way  to  visit  him,  adding 
that,  during  the  battle  of  the  Monongahela,  he  had 
singled  him  out  as  a  conspicuous  object,  fired  his  rifle  at 
him  many  times,  and  directed  his  young  warriors  to  do 

*  The  whole  number  engaged  were  twelve  hundred  men,  besides 
the  officers. 


106  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the  same,  but,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  none  of  their  balld 
took  effect.  He  was  then  persuaded,  that  the  youthful 
hero  was  under  the  special  guardianship  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  ceased  to  fire  at  him  any  longer.  He  was 
now  come  to  pay  homage  to  the  man  who  was  the  par 
ticular  favourite  of  heaven,  and  who  could  never  die  in 
battle." 

Let  the  reader  carefully  mark  the  foregoing  circum 
stances,  and  then  say  whether  Washington  had  not 
good  reason  for  the  language: — "By  the  all-powerful 
dispensations  of  Providence  I  have  been  protected  beyond 
all  human  probability  or  expectation." — If  we,  moreover, 
reflect  on  the  distinguished  and  important  part  he  after 
wards  acted  in  the  cause  of  his  country,  and  of  humanity, 
we  cannot,  if  we  believe  in  a  God  at  all,  resist  the  con 
viction,  that  he  was  preserved  by  a  special  divine  agency, 
being  kept  for  that  work  which  awaited  him  in  the  pur 
poses  of  Heaven.  This  conviction  will  derive  additional 
strength  from  the  recollection,  that  he  was  equally  pro 
tected  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  though  often 
and  greatly  exposed.  As  a  chosen  instrument  of  the 
Almighty,  we  may  well  apply  to  him  the  words,  "Im 
mortal  till  his  work  was  done." 

We  proceed  with  his  own  language.  From  Winchester, 
where  he  was  stationed  as  commander  of  the  troops,  he 
writes  to  Gov.  Dinwiddie,  about  a  year  after  Braddock's 
defeat  :— 

"  With  this  small  company  of  irregulars,  with  whom 
order,  regularity,  circumspection,  and  vigilance,  were 
matters  of  derision  and  contempt,  we  set  out,  and  by  the 
protection  of  Providence,  reached  Augusta  Court  House 
in  seven  days,  without  meeting  the  enemy,  otherwise  we 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  107 

must  have  fallen  a  sacrifice  through  the  indiscretion  of 
these  whooping,  hallooing,  gentlemen  soldiers  ! " 

On  the  subject  of  an  ill-managed  expedition  against 
Fort  Pitt,  in  the  year  1758,  he  says: — 

"  From  all  the  accounts  I  can  collect,  it  appears  very 
clear,  that  this  was  a  very  ill  concerted,  or  a  very  ill 
executed  plan,  perhaps  both;  but  it  seems  to  be  generally 
acknowledged,  that  Major  Grant  exceeded  his  orders, 
and  that  no  disposition  was  made  for  engaging.  The 
Iroops  were  divided,  which  caused  the  front  to  give 
way,  and  put  the  whole  into  confusion,  except  the  Vir 
ginians  commanded  by  Captain  Bullitt,  who  were,  in 
the  hands  of  Providence ,  a  means  of  preventing  all  our 
people  from  sharing  one  common  fate. " 

Writing  to  Gov.  Trumbull,  dated  Cambridge,  18th 
July,  1775,  he  says : — 

"  Allow  me  to  return  you  my  sincere  thanks,  for  the 
kind  wishes  and  favourable  sentiments,  expressed  in 
yours,  of  the  13th  inst.  As  the  cause  of  our  common 
country  calls  us  both  to  an  active  and  dangerous  duty,  I 
trust  that  Divine  Providence,  which  wisely  orders  the 
affairs  of  men,  will  enable  us  to  discharge  it  with  fidelity 
and  success,"  &c. 

About  the  same  time  he  wrote  to  Lieutenant-General 
Gage,  of  the  British  army,  in  answer  to  a  letter  from  him : 

"May  that  God  to  whom  you  then  appeal,  judge 
between  America  and  you.  Under  his  providence,  those 
who  influened  the  councils  of  America,  and  all  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  United  Colonies,  at  the  hazard  of  their 
lives,  are  determined  to  hand  down  to  posterity  those  just 
and  invaluable  privileges,  which  they  received  from  their 
ancestors." 


108  RELlGIOtTS    OPINIONS    AND 

He  writes  to  some  of  his  officers,  in  a  circular.  8th 
September,  1775 : — 

"It  is  to  know,  whether,  in  your  judgment,  we  cannot 
make  a  successful  attack  upon  the  troops  at  Boston,  by 
means  of  boats,  in  co-operation  with  an  attempt  upon 
their  lines  at  Roxbury.  The  success  of  such  an  enter 
prise  depends,  I  well  know,  upon  the  All- wise  Disposer 
of  events,  and  it  is  not  within  the  reach  of  human  wis 
dom  to  foretel  the  issue  ;  but  if  the  prospect  is  fair,  the 
undertaking  is  justifiable,  for  the  following,  among  other 
reasons  which  might  be  assigned,"  &c.  &c. 

INSTRUCTIONS  sent  by  him,  at  this  time,  to  Gen. 
Arnold,  contain  the  following  language  :— 

"You  are  immediately,  on  their  march  from  Cam 
bridge,  to  take  the  command  of  the  detachment  from 
the  Continental  army  against  Quebec,  and  use  all 
possible  expedition,  as  the  winter  season  is  now  advanc 
ing  ;  and  the  success  of  this  enterprise,  under  God , 
depends  wholly  upon  the  spirit  with  which  it  is  pushed, 
and  the  favourable  dispositions  of  the  Canadians  and 
Indians." 

In  a  letter  to  Joseph  Reed,  respecting  his  perplexities, 
he  writes,  under  date  of  January,  '76  :— 

"  Thus,  for  more  than  two  months  past,  I  have 
scarcely  emerged  from  one  difficulty  before  I  have  been 
plunged  into  another.  How  it  will  end,  God,  in  his 
great  goodness,  will  direct.  I  am  thankful  for  his 
protection  to  this  time.  We  are  told  that  we  shall 
soon  get  the  army  completed,  but  I  have  been  told  so 
many  things  which  have  never  come  to  pass,  that  I 
distrust  every  thing." 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  109 

To  Gen.  Schuyler  he  writes,  in  the  same  month  : — 

"  I  congratulate  you  upon  the  success  of  your  expe 
dition  into  Tyron  county.  I  hope  General  Lee  will 
execute  a  work  of  the  same  kind  on  Long  Island.  It  is 
high  time  to  begin  with  our  internal  foes,  when  we  are 
threatened  with  such  severity  of  chastisement  from  our 
kind  parent  without.  That  the  Supreme  Dispenser  of 
every  good  may  bestow  health,  strength,  and  spirit,  on 
you  and  your  army,  is  the  fervent  wish  of,  dear  sir, 
your  most  affectionate  and  obedient  servant." 

In  a  communication  to  Joseph  Reed,  the  same  month, 
he  says  :— 

"The  men  must  be  brought  to  face  danger;  they 
cannot  always  have  an  intrenchment,  or  a  stone  wall, 
as  a  safe-guard  or  shield;  and  it  is  of  essential  importance 
that  the  troops  in  Boston  should  be  destroyed,  if  possible, 
before  they  can  be  reinforced  or  removed.  This  is  clearly 
my  opinion.  Whether  circumstances  will  admit  of  the 
trial,  and,  if  tried,  what  will  be  the  result,  the  All-wise 
Disposer  of  events  alone  can  tell." 

To  the  Council  of  Massachusetts  Bay  he  writes, 
February,  '76 : — 

uln  this  state  of  the  matter,  and  to  avoid  putting  an 
affair  of  so  much  importance  to  a  doubtful  issue,  when, 
under  Providence,  it  may  be  reduced  to  a  certainty,  I 
submit  it  to  the  wisdom  of  your  board,  whether  it  may 
not  be  best  to  direct  the  militia  of  certain  towns,  most 
contiguous  to  Dorchester  and  Roxbury,  to  repair  to  the 
lines  at  those  places,  with  their  arms,  ammunition,  and 
accoutrements,  instantly,  upon  a  signal  given." 

After  the  evacuation  of  Boston,  by  the  British  troops 
March  17th,  '76,  Washington  received  an  Address  from 

10 


110  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the  General  Assembly  of  Massachusetts.  In  answer  to 
this  Address  he  has  the  following  language : — 

"  That  the  metropolis  of  your  colony  is  now  relieved 
from  the  cruel  and  oppressive  invasions  of  those  who 
were  sent  to  erect  the  standard  of  lawless  domination, 
and  to  trample  on  the  rights  of  humanity,  and  is  again 
open  and  free  for  its  rightful  possessors,  must  give 
pleasure  to  every  virtuous  and  sympathetic  heart ;  and 
its  being  effected  without  the  blood  of  our  soldiers  and 
fellow-citizens,  must  be  ascribed  to  the  interposition  of 
that  Providence  which  has  manifestly  appeared  in  our 
behalf  through  the  whole  of  this  important  struggle,  as 
well  as  to  the  measures  pursued  for  bringing  about  the 
happy  event. 

"  May  that  Being  who  is  powerful  to  save,  and  in 
whose  hands  is  the  fate  of  nations,  look  down  with  an 
eye  of  tender  pity  and  compassion  upon  the  whole  of 
the  United  Colonies ;  may  he  continue  to  smile  upon 
their  councils  and  arms,  and  crown  them  with  success, 
whilst  employed  in  the  cause  of  virtue  and  mankind. 
May  this  distressed  colony  and  its  capital,  and  every  part 
of  this  wide  extended  continent,  through  his  divine  fa 
vour,  be  restored  to  more  than  their  former  lustre  and 
once  happy  state,  and  have  peace,  liberty,  and  safety, 
secured  upon  a  solid,  permanent,  and  lasting  founda 
tion." 

Whilst  the  above  extracts  show  unqualified  reliance 
on  the  Providence  of  God,  the  attentive  reader  will  ob 
serve  the  absence  of  every  thing  resembling  that  fanatical 
trust  which  supersedes  the  use  of  means.  The  good 
ness  of  God  is  devoutly  acknowledged,  but  every  mea 
sure  is  adopted  which  may  contribute  to  the  end  in 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  Ill 

view.  Washington  never  sought,  in  his  views  of  Provi 
dence,  an  apology  for  neglect  or  indolence.  He  did  not 
deserve  the  censure  given  to  some  in  the  following  lines 
of  a  distinguished  writer.* — "It  is  to  be  lamented,  that 
this  great  doctrine  of  God's  universal  superintendance  is 
not  only  madly  denied,  or  inconsistently  overlooked  by 
one  class  of  men,  but  is  foolishly  perverted,  or  fanatically 
abused  by  another.  Without  entering  upon  the  wide 
field  of  instances,  we  shall  confine  our  remarks  to  two 
that  are  the  most  common.  First,  the  fanciful,  frivo 
lous,  and  bold  familiarity  with  which  this  supreme 
dictation  and  government  are  cited  on  the  most  trivial 
occasions,  and  adduced  in  a  manner  dishonourable  to 
infinite  wisdom,  and  derogatory  to  supreme  goodness. 
The  persons  who  are  guilty  of  this  fault  seem  not  to  per 
ceive,  that  it  is  not  more  foolish  and  presumptuous  to 
deny  it  altogether  than  to  expect  that  God's  particular 
Providence  will  interpose,  hi  order  to  save  their  exertions 
or  excuse  their  industry.  For  though  Providence  di 
rects  and  assists  virtuous  endeavours,  He  never,  by  su 
perseding  them,  encourages  idleness  or  justifies  presump 
tion. 

The  highly  censurable  use  to  which  some  others  con 
vert  this  Divine  agency,  is,  when  not  only  the  pretence 
of  trusting  Providence  is  made  the  plea  for  the  indolent 
desertion  of  their  own  duty,  but  an  unwarrantable  con 
fidence  in  providential  leadings  is  adopted  to  excuse 
their  own  imprudence.  Great  is  the  temerity,  when 
Providence  is  virtually  reproached  for  the  ill  success  of 
our  affairs,  or  pleaded  as  an  apology  for  our  own  wilful- 

*  Hannah  More. 


112  EELIGIOUS  OPINIONS    AND 

ness,  or  as  a  vindication  of  our  own  absurdity  in  the  fail 
ure  of  some  foolish  plan,  or  some  irrational  pursuit.  We 
have  no  right  to  depend  on  a  supernatural  interposition 
to  help  us  out  of  difficulties  into  which  we  have  been 
thrown  by  our  misconduct,  or  under  distresses  into  which 
we  have  been  plunged  by  our  errors  :  God,  though  he 
knows  the  prayers  which  we  may  offer,  and  accepts  the 
penitence  which  we  feel,  will  not  use  his  power  to  correct 
our  ill-judged  labours  any  otherwise,  than  by  making  us 
smart  for  their  consequences." 

In  the  justice  of  these  reflections  every  sober-minded 
person  will  acquiesce,  and  will  appreciate  the  favourable 
light  they  shed  on  the  principles  of  Washington,  in  refer 
ence  to  their  subject. 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother  John  A.  Washington,  dated 
Cambridge,  March  31,  1776,  he  says,— 

Upon  their  discovery  of  the  works  (on  Dorchester 
Heights)  next  morning,  great  preparations  were  made 
for  attacking  them  ;  but  not  being  ready  before  the  af 
ternoon,  and  the  weather  getting  very  tempestuous, 
much  blood  was  saved  and  a  very  important  blow  to 
one  side  or  the  other,  was  prevented.  That  this  most 
remarkable  interposition  of  Providence  is  for  some  wise 
purpose,  I  have  not  a  doubt.  But  as  the  principal  design 
of  the  manosuvre  was  to  draw  the  enemy  to  an  engage 
ment  under  disadvantages  to  them ;  as  a  premeditated 
plan  was  laid  for  this  purpose,  and  seemed  to  be  succeed 
ing  to  my  utmost  wish ;  as  no  men  seemed  better  dis 
posed  to  make  the  appeal  than  ours  did  upon  that  occa 
sion  ;  I  can  scarcely  forbear  lamenting  the  disappointment, 
unless  the  dispute  is  drawing  to  an  accommodation,  and 
the  sword  going  to  be  sheathed." 


CHARACTER    OF   WASHINGTON.  113 

In  May  he  writes  to  the  same  : — 

"  We  expect  a  very  bloody  summer  at  New- York  and 
Canada,  as  it  is  there,  I  presume,  the  grand  efforts  of  the 
enemy  will  be  aimed,  and  1  am  sorry  to  say  that  we 
are  not,  either  in  men  or  arms,  prepared  for  it.  How 
ever  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  if  our  cause  is  just,  as  I  do 
most  religiously  believe  it  to  be,  the  same  Providence 
which  has.  in  many  instances,  appeared  for  us,  will  still 
go  on  to  afford  its  aid.  Your  convention  is  acting  very 
wisely  in  removing  the  disaffected,  and  stores,  from  the 
counties  of  Princess  Anne  and  Norfolk  ;  and  are  much 
to  be  commended  for  their  attention  to  the  manufacture 
of  salt,  saltpetre,  and  powder." 

In  view  of  an  expected  attack  from  the  combined 
forces  of  the  enemy,  the  following  order  was  issued, 
July2d: 

"  The  time  is  now  near  at  hand  which  must  probably 
determine,  whether  Americans  are  to  be  freemen  or 
slaves  ;  whether  they  are  to  have  any  property  they  can 
call  their  own ;  whether  their  houses  and  farms  are  to 
be  pillaged  and  destroyed,  and  they  consigned  to  a  state 
of  wretchedness,  from  which  no  human  efforts  will  proba 
bly  deliver  them.  The  fate  of  unborn  millions  will 
now  depend,  under  God,  on  the  courage  and  conduct 
of  this  army.  Our  cruel  and  unrelenting  enemy  leaves 
us  no  choice  but  a  brave  resistance  or  the  most  abject 
submission.  This  is  all  that  we  can  expect.  We  have, 
therefore,  to  resolve  to  conquer  or  die.  Our  own  country's 
honour  calls  upon  us  for  a  vigorous  and  manly  exertion, 
and  if  we  now  shamefully  fail,  we  shall  become  infamous 
to  the  whole  world.  Let  us  rely  upon  the  goodness  of  the 
cause,  and  the  aid  of  the  Supreme  Being,  in  whose 

10* 


114  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

hands  victory  is,  to  animate  and  encourage  us  to  great 
and  noble  actions,"  &c. 

To  General  Schuyler  he  writes,  July,  76  : — 

"  From  every  appearance  they  mean  to  make  a  most 
vigorous  push  to  subdue  us  this  campaign  ;  and  for  that 
purpose  to  possess  themselves  of  this  colony,  (N.  Y.)  if 
possible,  as  a  step  leading  to  it.  Our  utmost  exertions 
must  be  used,  and  I  trust,  through  the  favour  of 
Divine  Providence,  they  will  be  disappointed  in  their 
views." 

To  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Asso 
ciation,  he  writes,  8th  of  August  following : — 

"  The  honour  and  safety  of  our  bleeding  country,  and 
every  other  motive  that  can  influence  the  brave  and 
heroic  patriot,  call  loudly  upon  us  to  acquit  ourselves 
with  resolution.  In  short,  we  must  now  determine  to  be 
enslaved  or  free.  If  we  make  freedom  our  choice,  we 
must  obtain  it  by  the  blessing  of  Heaven  on  our  united 
and  vigorous  efforts. 

"  I  salute  you,  gentlemen,  most  affectionately,  and 
beg  leave  to  remind  you  that  liberty,  honour,  and  safety, 
are  all  at  stake  ;  and  I  trust  Providence  will  smile  upon 
our  efforts,  and  establish  us  once  more  the  inhabitants  of 
a  free  and  happy  country." 

In  writing  to  General  Armstrong,  from  Morristown, 
N.  J.  4th  July,  1777,  he  says  : 

"  The  evacuation  of  Jersey  (by  the  British  troops)  at 
this  time  is  a  peculiar  mark  of  Providence,  as  the  inha 
bitants  have  an  opportunity  of  securing  their  harvests 
of  hay  and  grain,  the  latter  of  which  would,  in  all  proba 
bility,  have  undergone  the  same  fate  with  many  farm 
houses,  had  it  been  ripe  enough  to  take  fire.  The  dis- 


CHARACTER   OF   WASHINGTON.  115 

tress  of  many  of  the  inhabitants,  who  were  plundered 
not  only  of  their  effects,  but  of  their  provision  of  every 
kind,  was  such,  that  I  sent  down  several  wagon-loads 
of  meat  and  flour  to  supply  their  present  wants." 

The  reader  will  observe  in  this  extract  a  striking  proof 
of  the  writer's  unqualified  faith  in  the  immediate  and 
particular  agency  of  the  Almighty  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
By  this  agency,  a  plundering  army  had  been  forced  to 
leave  the  agricultural  districts  of  the  country  at  a  period 
the  most  critical  to  the  farmer.  It  was  near  the  season  of 
harvest  when  they  evacuated  the  state,  but  the  grain 
was  in  too  green  a  state  to  be  burnt.  But  for  this  the 
dependance  for  bread  in  that  region  would  have  been 
cut  off.  This  interposition  was  indeed  "a  peculiar 
mark  of  Providence  ! "  and  the  reverential  notice  of  it  a 
commendable  instance  of  devout  feeling. 

To  his  brother,  John  A  Washington,  he  writes  in 
October,  '77.  His  subject  is  the  battle  of  German- 
town. 

"  When  my  last  to  you  was  dated  I  know  not ;  for 
truly  I  can  say,  that  my  whole  time  is  so  much  engross 
ed,  that  I  have  scarcely  a  moment  but  sleeping  ones,  for 
relaxation,  or  to  indulge  myself  in  writing  to  a  friend. 
The  anxiety  you  have  been  under,  on  account  of  this 
army,  I  can  easily  conceive.  Would  to  God  there  had 
been  less  cause  for  it ;  or  that  our  situation  at  present 
was  such  as  to  promise  much.  The  enemy  crossed  the 
Schuylkill,  (which,  by  the  by,  above  the  Falls,  is  as 
easily  crossed  in  any  place  as  Potomac  Run,  Aquia,  or 
any  other  broad,  shallow  water)  rather  by  stratagem  ; 
though  I  do  not  know  that  it  was  in  our  power  to  prevent 
it,  as  their  manoeuvres  made  it  necessary  for  us  to  attend 


116  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

to  our  stores  which  lay  at  Reading,  towards  which  they 
seemed  bending  their  course,  and  the  loss  of  which  must 
have  proved  our  ruin.  After  they  had  crossed,  we  took 
the  first  favourable  opportunity  of  attacking  them." 

"  This  was  attempted  by  a  night's  march  of  fourteen 
miles  to  surprise  them,  which  we  effectually  did,  so  far  as 
to  reach  their  guards  before  they  had  notice  of  our  com 
ing  ;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  a  thick  fog,  which  ren 
dered  it  so  dark  at  times  that  we  were  not  able  to  dis 
tinguish  friend  from  foe  at  the  distance  of  thirty  yards,  we 
should,  I  believe,  have  made  a  decisive  and  glorious  day 
of  it.  But  Providence  designed  it  otherwise ;  for  after 
we  had  driven  the  enemy  a  mile  or  two  ;  after  they  were 
in  the  utmost  confusion,  and  flying  before  us  in  most 
places :  after  we  were  on  the  point,  as  it  appeared  to  every 
body,  of  grasping  a  complete  victory ;  our  own  troops 
took  fright,  and  fled  with  precipitation  and  disorder. 
How  to  account  for  this  I  know  not ;  unless,  as  I  before 
observed,  the  fog  represented  their  own  friends  to  them 
for  a  reinforcement  of  the  enemy,  as  we  attacked  in 
different  quarters  at  the  same  time,  and  were  about 
closing  the  wings  of  our  army  when  this  happened," 
&c. 

After  writing  the  above,  or  rather,  concluding  the  let 
ter,  Gen.  Washington  received  from  Gov.  Clinton  a 
brief  despatch,  announcing  the  capitulation  of  Burgoyne's 
army,  at  Saratoga.  This  he  enclosed  to  his  brother,  and 
in  a  postscript,  added, — "  I  most  devoutly  congratulate 
my  country,  and  every  well-wisher  to  the  cause,  on  this 
signal  stroke  of  Providence." 

The  day  after  writing  the  above,  he  wrote  to  General 
Putnam. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON. 


117 


"  The  defeat  of  General  Burgoyne  is  a  most  important 
event,  and  such  as  must  afford  the  highest  satisfaction  to 
every  well-affected  American.  Should  Providence  be 
pleased  to  crown  our  arms  in  the  course  of  the  cam 
paign,  with  one  more  fortunate  stroke,  I  think  we  shall 
have  no  great  cause  for  anxiety  respecting  the  future 
designs  of  Britain.  I  trust  all  will  be  well  in  His  good 
time." 

The  postscript  of  a  letter  to  Landon  Carter,  of  Sabine 
Hall.  Richmond  county,  Virginia,  is  as  follows  : — 

<:  I  have  this  instant  received  an  account  of  the  prison 
ers  taken  by  the  northern  army,  (including  tories  in 
arms  against  us,)  in  the  course  of  the  campaign.  This 
singular  instance  of  Providence,  and  of  our  good  fortune 
under  it,  exhibits  a  striking  proof  of  the  advantages 
which  result  from  unanimity  and  a  spirited  conduct  in 
the  militia.  The  northern  army,  before  the  surrender 
of  General  Burgoyne,  was  reinforced  by  upwards  of 
twelve  hundred  militia,  who  shut  the  only  door  by  which 
Burgoyne  could  retreat,  and  cut  off  all  his  supplies.  How 
different  our  case  !  The  disaffection  of  a  great  part  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  State,  the  languor  of  others,  and  the 
internal  distraction  of  the  whole,  have  been  among  the 
great  and  insuperable  difficulties  which  I  have  met  with, 
and  have  contributed  not  a  little  to  my  embarrassments 
in  this  campaign.  But  enough ;  I  do  not  mean  to  com 
plain.  I  natter  myself,  that  a  superintending  Providence 
is  ordering  every  thing  for  the  best,  and  that,  in  due 
time,  all  will  end  well.  That  it  may  do  so,  and  soon,  is 
the  most  fervent  wish  of  yours,"  &c. 

In  another  letter,  to  the  same,  he  writes : — 


118  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  VALLEY  FORGE,  May  30,  1778. 

«  My  Dear  Sir  :— 

"  I  thank  you  much  for  your  kind  and  affectionate 
remembrance  and  mention  of  me,  and  for  that  solicitude 
for  my  welfare  which  breathes  through  the  whole  of 
your  letters.  Were  I  not  warm  in  my  acknowledgments 
for  your  distinguished  regard,  I  should  feel  that  sense  of 
ingratitude  which  I  hope  will  never  constitute  a  part  of 
my  character,  nor  find  a  place  in  my  bosom.  My  friends, 
therefore,  may  believe  me  sincere  in  my  professions  of 
attachment  to  them,  whilst  Providence  has  a  just  claim 
to  my  humble  and  grateful  thanks  for  its  protection  and 
direction  of  me,  through  the  many  difficult  and  intricate 
scenes  which  this  contest  has  produced  ;  and  for  its  con 
stant  interposition  in  our  behalf,  when  the  clouds  were 
heaviest  and  seemed  ready  to  burst  upon  us. 

"  To  paint  the  distresses  and  perilous  situation  of  this 
army,  in  the  course  of  last  winter,  for  want  of  clothes, 
provisions,  and  almost  every  other  necessary  essential  to 
the  well-being,  I  may  say  existence  of  an  army,  would 
require  more  time  and  an  abler  pen  than  mine ;  nor, 
since  our  prospects  have  so  miraculously  brightened,  shall 
I  attempt  it,  or  even  bear  it  in  remembrance,  further  than 
as  a  memento  of  what  is  due  to  the  great  Author  of  all 
the  care  and  good  that  have  been  extended  in  relieving 
us  in  difficulties  and  distress,"  &c. 

Concerning  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  he  wrote  his 
brother  John  A.  Washington,  from  Brunswick,  4th 
July,  1778. 

General  Lee,  having  the  command  of  the  van  of  the 
army,  consisting  of  full  five  thousand  chosen  men,  was 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  119 

ordered  to  begin  the  attack  next  morning,  (28th  of 
June,)  so  soon  as  the  enemy  began  their  march  ;  to  be 
supported  by  me ;  but,  strange  to  tell !  when  he  came 
up  with  the  enemy,  a  retreat  commenced  ;  whether  by 
his  order,  or  from  other  causes,  is  now  the  subject  of  in 
quiry,  and,  consequently,  improper  to  be  descanted  upon, 
as  he  is  in  arrest,  and  a  court-martial  is  sitting  for  his 
trial.  A  retreat,  however,  was  the  fact,  be  the  causes 
what  they  may  ;  and  the  disorder  arising  from  it  would 
have  proved  fatal  to  the  army,  had  not  that  bountiful 
Providence  which  has  never  failed  us  in  the  hour  of  dis 
tress,  enabled  me  to  form  a  regiment  or  two  (of  those 
that  were  retreating)  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  and  un 
der  their  fire,  by  which  means  a  stand  was  made  long 
enough  (the  place  through  which  the  enemy  were  pur 
suing  being  narrow,)  to  form  the  troops  that  were  ad 
vancing  ,upon  an  advantageous  piece  of  ground  in  the 
rear.  Here  our  affairs  took  a  favourable  turn ;  and, 
from  being  pursued,  we  drove  the  enemy  back  over  the 
ground  they  had  followed,  and  recovered  the  field  of  battle, 
and  possessed  ourselves  of  their  dead.  But  as  they 
retreated  behind  a  morass  very  difficult  to  pass,  and 
had  both  flanks  secured  with  thick  woods,  it  was  found 
impracticable,  with  our  men,  fainting  with  fatigue,  heat, 
and  want  of  water,  to  do  any  thing  more  that  night.  In 
the  morning  we  expected  to  renew  the  action ;  when, 
behold!  the  enemy  had  stolen  off  silently  in  the  night, 
after  having  sent  away  their  wounded,"  &c. 

To  General  Nelson,  of  Virginia,  he  wrote,  in  Au 
gust : 

'•  It  is  not  a  little  pleasing,  nor  less  wonderful  to  con 
template,  that  after  two  years  manoeuvring  and  under- 


120  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

going  the  strangest  vicissitudes  that  ever  attended  any 
one  contest  since  the  creation,  both  armies  are  brought 
back  to  the  very  point  they  set  out  from  •  and  that  the 
offending  party,  at  the  beginning,  is  now  reduced  to  the 
use  of  the  spade  and  pickaxe  for  defence.  The  hand  of 
Providence  has  been  so  conspicuous  in  all  this,  that  he 
must  be  worse  than  an  infidel  that  lacks  faith,  and 
more  than  wicked  that  has  not  gratitude  enough  to 
acknowledge  his  obligations.  But  it  will  be  time  enough 
for  me  to  turn  preacher  when  my  present  appointment 
ceases ;  and  therefore  I  shall  add  no  more  on  the  doctrine 
of  Providence  ;  but  make  a  tender  of  my  best  respects  to 
your  good  lady,  the  secretary,  and  other  friends,  and 
assure  you  that  with  the  most  perfect  regard,  I  am,  dear 
sir,"  &c. 

Writing  to  Joseph  Reed,  in  November,  he  says  : 
"  It  is  most  devoutly  to  be  wished  that  faction  was  at 
an  end,  and  that  those  to  whom  every  thing  dear  and 
valuable  is  entrusted  would  lay  aside  party  views  and 
return  to  first  principles.  Happy,  happy,  thrice  happy 
country,  if  such  were  the  government  of  it !  But,  alas  ! 
we  are  not  to  expect  that  the  path  is  to  be  strewed  with 
flowers.  That  great  and  good  Being  who  rules  the  uni 
verse,  has  disposed  matters  otherwise,  and  for  wise  pur 
poses,  I  am  persuaded." 

To  Benjamin  Harrison,  of  Virginia. 

"PHILADELPHIA,  30  December,  1778. 
"  Dear  Sir, 
"  I  have  seen  nothing  since  I  came  here,*  on  the  22d 

*  He  was  in  Philadelphia,  by  request  of  Congress,  for  the  purpose 
of  a  personal  conference  with  them,  touching  the  operations  of  the 
next  campaign. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  121 

inst.,  to  change  my  opinion  of  men  or  measures ;  but 
abundant  reason  to  be  convinced,  that  our  affairs  are  in 
a  more  distressed,  ruinous  and  deplorable  condition,  than 
they  have  been  since  the  commencement  of  the  war. 

******%* 

*•  If  I  were  to  be  called  upon  to  draw  a  picture  of  the 
times,  and  of  men,  from  what  I  have  seen,  heard,  and 
in  part  know,  I  should,  in  one  word,  say,  that  idleness, 
dissipation,  and  extravagance,  seem  to  have  laid  fast 
hold  of  most  of  them;  that  speculation,  peculation,  and 
an  insatiable  thirst  for  riches,  seem  to  have  got  the 
better  of  every  other  consideration,  and  almost  of  every 
order  of  men  ;  that  party  disputes  and  personal  quarrels 
are  the  great  business  of  the  day  ;  whilst  the  momentous 
concerns  of  an  empire,  a  great  and  accumulating  debt, 
ruined  finances,  depreciated  money,  and  want  of  credit, 
which  in  its  consequences  is  the  want  of  every  thing,  are 
but  secondary  considerations,  and  postponed  from  day 
to  day,  from  week  to  week,  as  if  our  affairs  wore  the 
most  promising  aspect. 

#*##*#** 

"I  again  repeat  to  you,  that  this  is  not  an  exaggerated 
account.  That  it  is  an  alarming  one  I  do  not  deny; 
and  I  confess  to  you  that  I  feel  more  real  distress,  on 
account  of  the  present  appearances  of  things,  than  I 
have  done  at  any  one  time  since  the  commencement  of 
the  dispute.  But  it  is  time  to  bid  you  adieu.  Providence 
lias  heretofore  taken  us  up  when  all  other  means  and 
hopes  seemed  to  be  departing  from  us.  In  this  1  will 
confide.  I  am  yours,"  (fee. 

To  Gen.  Thos.  Nelson,  in  Congress,  dated  March  79 : 
"  It   gives   me  very  singular  pleasure  to  find,  that 
11 


122  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

you  have  again  taken  a  seat  in  Congress.  I  think 
there  never  was  a  time,  when  cool  and  dispassionate 
reasoning,  strict  attention  and  application,  great  integ 
rity,  and,  if  it  was  in  the  nature  of  things,  unerring 
wisdom,  were  more  to  be  wished  for  than  at  the  present, 
Our  affairs,  according  to  my  judgment,  are  now  come 
to  a  crisis,  and  require  no  small  degree  of  political  skill 
to  steer  clear  of  those  shallows  and  rocks,  which,  though 
deeply  buried,  may  wreck  our  hopes,  and  throw  us  upon 
some  inhospitable  shore.  Unanimity  in  our  councils, 
disinterestedness  in  our  pursuits,  and  steady  perseverance 
in  our  national  duty,  are  the  only  means  to  avoid  mis 
fortunes.  If  they  come  upon  us  after  these,  we  shall  have 
the  consolation  of  knowing  that  \ve  have  done  our  best. 
The  rest  is  with  God." 

To  Joseph  Reed,  President  of  Congress,    he  writes, 
in  July,  79  :— 

"  Discouraging  as  this  is,  I  feel  more  from  the  state  of 
our  currency,  and  the  little  attention  which  hitherto 
appears  to  have  been  paid  to  our  finances,  than  from  the 
smallness  of  our  army  ;  and  yet,  Providence  having  so 
often  taken  us  up  when  bereft  of  every  other  hope,  I 
trust  we  shall  not  fail  even  in  this.  The  present  temper 
and  disposition  of  the  people  to  facilitate  a  loan,  to  dis 
countenance  speculation,  and  to  raise  the  value  of  the 
money, are  a  happy  presage  of  resulting  good,  and  ought 
to  be  cherished  by  every  possible  means  not  repugnant 
to  good  order  and  goverment." 

To  William  Gordon,  from  Newport,  March,  1781  :  — 

"I  came  here  on  business,  and  as  soon  as  that  business 

is  finished,  I  shall  return  to  my  dreary  quarters  at  New 

Windsor.     We  have,  as  you  very  justly  observe,  abun- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  123 

dant  reasons  to  thank  Providence  for  its  many  favourable 
interpositions  in  our  behalf.  It  has  at  times  been  my 
only  dependance,  for  all  other  resources  seemed  to  have 
failed  us." 

To  General  Armstrong,  he  writes,  about  the  same 
time : — 

"  Our  affairs  are  brought  to  a  perilous  crisis,  that  the 
hand  of  Providence,  I  trust,  may  be  more  conspicuous 
in  our  deliverance.  The  many  remarkable  interpositions 
of  the  Divine  government,  in  the  hours  of  our  deepest 
distress  and  darkness,  have  been  too  luminous  to  suffer 
me  to  doubt  the  happy  issue  of  the  present  contest;  but 
the  period  for  its  accomplishment  may  be  too  far  distant 
for  a  person  of  my  years,  who,  in  his  morning  and  even 
ing  hours,  and  every  moment  unoccupied  by  business, 
pants  for  retirement,  and  for  those  domestic  and  rural  en 
joyments,  which,  in  my  estimation,  far  surpass  the 
highest  pageantry  of  this  world." 

To  the  President  of  Congress,  November,  1781  : — 
«  Sir, 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
favour  of  the  31st  ultimo,  covering  the  resolutions  of 
Congress  of  the  29th,  and  a  proclamation  for  a  day  of 
public  prayer  and  thanksgiving ;  and  have  to  thank  you 
sir,  most  sincerely,  for  the  very  polite  and  affectionate 
manner  in  which  those  enclosures  have  been  conveyed. 
The  success  of  the  combined  arms  against  our  enemies 
at  York  and  Gloucester,  as  it  affects  the  welfare  and  in 
dependence  of  the  United  States,  I  viewed  as  a  most  for 
tunate  event.  In  performing  my  part  towards  its  ac 
complishment,  I  consider  myself  to  have  done  only  my 
duty,  and  in  the  execution  of  that,  I  ever  feel  myself 


124  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

happy  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  as  it  augurs  well  to  our 
cause,  I  take  a  particular  pleasure  in  acknowledging, 
that  the  interposing  hand  of  Heaven,  in  the  various  in 
stances  of  our  extensive  preparations  for  this  operation, 
have  been  most  conspicuous  and  remarkable." 

About  the  same  time  he  addressed  to  a  committee  of 
gentlemen,  inhabitants  of  Alexandria,  the  following, 
among  other  remarks,  in  answer  to  an  address  from 
them  : — 

"  The  great  Director  of  events  has  carried  us  through 
a  variety  of  scenes  during  this  long  and  bloody  contest 
in  which  we  have  been  for  seven  campaigns,  most  nobly 
struggling.  The  present  prospect  is  pleasing.  The 
late  success  at  Yorktown  is  very  promising,  but  on  our 
own  improvement  of  it  depend  its  future  good  conse 
quences.  A  vigorous  prosecution  of  this  success,  will,  in 
all  probability,  procure  us  what  we  have  so  long  wished  to 
secure,  an  establishment  of  peace,  liberty,  and  indepen 
dence.  A  relaxation  of  our  exertions,  at  this  moment, 
may  cost  us  many  more  toilsome  campaigns,  and  be  at 
tended  with  the  most  unhappy  consequences." 

In  a  "  Circular  to  the  States,"  dated  Philadelphia,  31 
January,  1782,  occur  the  following  sentiments  : — 

"  Although  we  cannot,  by  the  best  concerted  plans, 
absolutely  command  success ;  although  the  race  is  not 
always  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong ;  yet, 
without  presumptuously  waiting  for  miracles  to  be 
wrought  in  our  favour,  it  is  our  indispensable  duty,  with 
the  deepest  gratitude  to  Heaven  for  the  past,  and  hum 
ble  confidence  in  its  smiles  on  our  future  operations,  to 
make  use  of  all  the  means  in  our  power  for  our  defence 
and  security." 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  125 

We  have  here  again  a  fair  specimen  of  Washington's 
views  of  the  doctrine  of  Providence.  With  an  unhesi 
tating  belief  and  trust  in  the  divine  agency,  he  did  not 
vainly  expect  that  Infinite  Wisdom  would  sanction  by 
that  agency  so  pernicious  a  result  as  human  apathy.  Ho 
regarded  the  aids  of  Providence  as  designed  to  reward, 
and  not  discourage  industry.  Therefore,  while  he  hum 
bly  confided  in  the  help  of  God,  he  diligently  fulfilled  the 
duties  of  his  station,  not  contented  to  commence  a  work, 
but  seeking  ever  to  complete  it  also,  esteeming  nothing 
done  to  good  purpose,  while  any  thing  remained  un 
done. 

Addressing  sundry  individuals  and  bodies  of  men,  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  has  the  following  language  : — 

"  I  anticipate  with  pleasure  the  day,  and  that,  I  trust, 
not  far  off,  when  I  shall  quit  the  busy  scenes  of  a  mili 
tary  employment,  and  retire  to  the  more  tranquil  walks 
of  domestic  life.  In  that,  or  in  whatever  other  situation 
Providence  may  dispose  my  future  days,  the  remem 
brance  of  the  many  friendships  and  connexions  I  have 
had  the  happiness  to  contract  with  the  gentlemen  of  the 
army,  will  be  one  of  my  most  grateful  reflections.  Uru 
der  this  contemplation,  and  impressed  with  the  senti 
ments  of  benevolence  and  regard,  I  commend  you,  my 
dear  sir,  my  other  friends,  and  with  them  the  interests 
and  happiness  of  our  dear  country,  to  the  keeping  and 
protection  of  Almighty  God.'' 

Again,  he  says ;  "  Notwithstanding  Congress  seem  to 
estimate  the  value  of  my  life  beyond  any  services  I  have 
been  able  to  render  the  United  States,  yet  I  must  be  per 
mitted  to  consider  the  wisdom  and  unanimity  of  our 
national  councils,  the  firmness  of  our  citizens,  and  the 
H* 


126  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

patience  and  bravery  of  our  troops,  which  have  produced 
so  happy  a  termination  of  the  war,  as  the  most  conspicu 
ous  effects  of  the  Divine  interposition,  and  the  surest  pre 
sage  of  our  future  happiness." 

In  his  farewell  address  to  the  armies  of  the  United 
States,  he  says  : — 

"  A  contemplation  of  the  complete  attainment  (at  a 
period  earlier  than  could  have  been  expected,)  of  the 
object  for  which  we  contended,  against  so  formidable  a 
power,  cannot  but  inspire  us  with  astonishment  and 
gratitude.  The  disadvantageous  circumstances,  on  our 
part,  under  which  the  war  was  undertaken,  can  never  be 
forgotten.  The  singular  interpositions  of  Providence,  in 
our  feeble  condition,  were  such  as  could  scarcely  escape 
the  attention  of  the  most  unobserving  ;  while  the  unpa 
ralleled  perseverance  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States, 
through  almost  every  possible  suffering  and  discourage 
ment,  for  the  space  of  eight  long  years,  was  little  short  of 
a  standing  miracle. 

********* 

"  And  being  now  to  conclude  these  his  last  public 
orders  ;  to  take  his  ultimate  leave  in  a  short  time  of  the 
military  character ;  and  to  bid  a  final  adieu  to  the  armies 
he  has  so  long  had  the  honour  to  command?;  he  can  only 
again  offer,  in  their  behalf,  his  recommendations  to  their 
grateful  country,  and  his  prayers  to  the  God  of  armies. 
May  ample  justice  be  done  them  here,  and  may  the 
choicest  of  Heaven's  favours,  both  here  and  hereafter,  at 
tend  those,  who,  under  the  Divine  auspices,  have  secur 
ed  innumerable  blessings  for  others.  With  these  wishes, 
and  this  benediction,  the  commander-in-chief  is  about  to 
retire  from  service.  The  curtain  of  separation  will  soon 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON  127 

be  drawn,  and  the  military  scene  to  him  will  be  closed 
forever." 

Address  to  Congress,  on  resigning  his  commission. 
"  ANNAPOLIS,  December  23,  1783. 

"  Mr.  President, 

"  The  great  events  on  which  my  resignation 
depended  having  at  length  taken  place,  I  have  now  the 
honour  of  offering  my  sincere  congratulations  to  Con 
gress,  and  of  presenting  myself  before  them,  to  surrender 
into  their  hands  the  trust  committed  to  me,  and  to  claim 
the  indulgence  of  retiring  from  the  service  of  my  coun 
try. 

"  Happy  in  the  confirmation  of  our  independence  and 
sovereignty,  and  pleased  with  the  opportunity  afforded 
the  United  States  of  becoming  a  respectable  nation,  I 
resign  with  satisfaction,  the  appointment  I  accepted  with 
diffidence  ;  a  diffidence  in  my  abilties  to  accomplish  so 
arduous  a  task,  which,  however,  was  superseded  by  a 
confidence  in  the  rectitude  of  our  cause,  the  support  of 
the  supreme  power  of  the  Union,  and  the  patronage  of 
Heaven. 

il  The  successful  termination  of  the  war  has  verified 
the  most  sanguine  expectations  ;  and  my  gratitude  for 
the  interposition'of  Providence,  and  the  assistance  I  have 
received  from  my  countrymen,  increases  with  every  re 
view  of  the  momentous  contest. 

******** 

"  I  consider  it  an  indispensable  duty  to  close  this  last 
solemn  act  of  my  official  life,  by  commending  the  interests 
of  our  dearest  country,  to  the  protection  of  Almighty 
God,  and  those  who  have  the  superintendence  of  them, 
to  his  holy  keeping. 


128  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

"  Having  now  finished  the  work  assigned  me,  I  re 
tire  from  the  great  theatre  of  action ;  and,  bidding  an 
affectionate  farewell  to  this  august  body,  under  whose 
orders  I  have  so  long  acted,  I  here  offer  my  commission 
and  take  my  leave  of  all  the  employments  of  public 
life." 

We  have  before  us  the  views  of  Washington  in  refer 
ence  to  the  doctrine  of  Providence,  as  habitually  express 
ed  by  him  on  all  proper  occasions,  from  early  life  to  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  It  only  remains  that  a 
few  additional  instances  be  cited,  of  his  devout  recogni 
tion  of  this  truth,  during  subsequent  periods  of  his  active 
and  useful  life.  As  his  piety  shed  splendour  on  his  bril 
liant  military  course,  so  did  it  impart  dignity  and  orna 
ment  to  his  distinguished  civil  career. 

At  his  Inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States, 
April  30th,  1789,  he  expressed,  among  other  appropriate 
sentiments,  the  following  : — 

****#**# 

"  Such  being  the  impressions  under  which  I  have,  in 
obedience  to  the  public  summons,  repaired  to  the  present 
station,  it  would  be  peculiarly  improper  to  omit,  in  this 
first  official  act,  my  fervent  supplications  to  that  Almighty 
Being  who  rules  over  the  universe — who  presides  in  the 
councils  of  nations — and  whose  providential  aids  can  sup 
ply  every  human  defect — that  his  benediction  may  con 
secrate  to  the  liberties  and  happiness  of  the  poeple  of  the 
United  States,  a  government  instituted  by  themselves 
for  these  essential  purposes  ;  and  may  enable  every  in 
strument  employed  in  its  administration,  to  execute  with 
success  the  functions  allotted  to  his  charge.  In  tender 
ing  this  homage  to  the  great  Author  of  every  public 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  129 

and  private  good,  I  assure  myself  that  it  expresses 
your  sentiments  not  less  than  my  own  ;  nor  those  of  my 
fellow- citizens  at  large  less  than  either.  No  people  can 
be  bound  to  acknowledge  and  adore  the  invisible  Hand 
which  conducts  the  affairs  of  men,  more  than  the  people 
of  the  United  States.  Every  step  by  which  they  have 
advanced  to  the  character  of  an  independent  nation, 
seems  to  have  been  distinguished  by  some  token  of  provi 
dential  agency.  And  in  the  important  revolution  just  ac 
complished,  in  the  system  of  their  united  government, 
the  tranquil  deliberations  and  voluntary  consent  of  so 
many  distinct  communities,  from  which  the  event  has 
resulted,  cannot  be  compared  with  the  means  by  which 
most  governments  have  been  established,  without  some 
return  of  pious  gratitude,  along  with  an  humble  antici 
pation  of  the  future  blessings,  which  the  past  seem  to 
presage.  These  reflections,  arising  out  of  the  present 
crisis,  have  forced  themselves  too  strongly  on  my  mind 
to  be  suppressed.  You  will  join  with  me,  I  trust,  in 
thinking  that  there  are  none  under  the  influence  of 
which  the  proceedings  of  a  new  and  free  government 
can  more  auspiciously  commence. 

******* 

"  Having  thus  imparted  to  you  my  sentiments,  as  they 
have  been  awakened  by  the  occasion  which  brings  us 
together,  I  shall  take  my  present  leave ;  but  not  without 
resorting  once  more  to  the  benign  Parent  of  the  human 
race,  in  humble  supplication,  that  since  he  has  been 
pleased  to  favour  the  American  people  with  opportuni- 
nities  for  deliberating  in  perfect  tranquillity,  and  disposi 
tions  for  deciding  with  unparalleled  unanimity,  on  a  form 
of  government  for  the  securing  of  their  union,  and  the 


130 


RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 


advancement  of  their  happiness  ;  so  His  Divine  blessing 
may  be  equally  conspicuous  in  the  enlarged  views,  the 
temperate  consultations,  and  the  wise  measures  on  which 
the  success  of  this  government  must  depend." 

We  pass  to  the  next  and  last  instance  of  this  devout 
feeling  in  the  Father  of  his  country,  which  we  shall  cite 
from  public  documents.  In  October  succeeding  his  in 
auguration,  the  following  Proclamation  was  issued  by 
him  : 

"  Whereas,  it  is  the  duty  of  all  nations  to  acknowledge 
the  Providence  of  Almighty  God,  to  obey  his  will,  to  be 
grateful  for  his  benefits,  and  humbly  to  implore  his  pro 
tection  and  favour  :  And,  whereas,  both  houses  of  Con 
gress  have,  by  their  joint  committee,  requested  me  '  to 
recommend  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  a  day  of 
public  Thanksgiving  and  Prayer,  to  be  observed  by  ac 
knowledging,  with  grateful  hearts,  the  many  and  signal 
favours  of  Almighty  God,  especially  by  affording  them 
an  opportunity  peaceably  to  establish  a  form  of  govern 
ment  for  their  safety  and  happiness.'  " 

'•  Now,  therefore,  I  do  recommend  and  assign  Thurs 
day,  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  November,  to  be  devoted  by 
the  people  of  these  states,  to  the  service  of  that  great  and 
glorious  Being,  who  is  the  beneficent  Author  of  all  the 
good  that  was,  that  is,  or  will  be  ;  that  we  may  then  all 
unite  in  rendering  unto  him  our  sincere  and  humble 
thanks,  for  his  kind  care  and  protection  of  the  people  of 
this  country,  previous  to  their  becoming  a  nation  ; — for 
the  signal  and  manifold  mercies,  and  the  favourable  in 
terpositions  of  his  providence,  in  the  course  and  conclu 
sion  of  the  late  war  ; — for  the  great  degree  of  tranquillity, 
union,  and  plenty,  which  we  have  since  enjoyed  ; — for 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  131 

the  peaceable  and  national  manner  in  which  we  have 
been  enabled  to  establish  constitutions  of  government  for 
our  safety  and  happiness,  and  particularly  the  national 
one,  now  lately  instituted ; — for  the  civil  and  religious 
liberty  with  which  we  are  blessed,  and  the  means  we 
have  for  acquiring  and  diffusing  useful  knowledge  ; — 
and,  in  general,  for  all  the  great  and  various  favours, 
which  he  hath  been  pleased  to  confer  upon  us. 

'•  And,  a/50,  That  we  may  then  unite  in  most  hum 
bly  offering  our  prayers  and  supplications  to  the  great 
Lord  and  Rider  of  nations ;  and  beseech  him  to  pardon 
our  national  and  other  transgressions  : — to  enable  113 
all,  whether  in  public  or  private  stations,  to  perform  our 
several  and  relative  duties  properly  and  punctually  ;— 
to  render  our  national  government  a  blessing  to  all  the 
people,  by  constantly  being  a  government  of  wise,  just, 
and  constitutional  laws,  discreetly  and  faithfully  exe 
cuted  and  obeyed : — to  protect  and  guide  all  sovereigns 
and  nations,  (especially  such  as  have  shown  kindness 
unto  us.)  and  to  bless  them  with  good  government, 
peace,  and  concord ; — to  promote  the  knowledge  and 
practice  of  true  religion,  and  virtue,  and  the  increase  of 
science  among  them  and  us ; — and,  generally,  to  grant 
unto  all  mankind  such  a  degree  of  temporal  prosperity 
us  he  alone  knows  to  be  best. 

<:  Given  under  my  hand,  at  the  city  of  New- York,  the 
third  day  of  October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-nine. 

<:G.  WASHINGTON/' 

The  writer  has  in  his  possession  some  of  the  private 
letters  of  Gen.  Washington,  which  have  never  seen  the 


132  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

light,  in  whole  or  in  part.  Of  these,  he  shall  avail  him 
self  on  the  topic  under  consideration,  as  on  others,  which 
may  receive  elucidation  from  them  in  the  course  of  this 
work.  The  following  brief  quotations  are  here  made,  as 
showing  the  agreement  between  his  public  and  private 
communications.  The  letters  were  written  to  a  near 
relative,  engaged  as  his  land  agent,  in  Virginia.  To 
him  he  writes,  in  October,  1791 : — 

"  From  long  experience  I  have  laid  it  down  as  an 
unerring  maxim,  that  to  exact  rents  with  punctuality  is 
not  only  the  right  of  the  landlord,  but  that  it  is  also  for 
the  benefit  of  the  tenant  that  it  should  be  so ;  unless,  by 
uncontrollable  events,  and  providential  strokes,  the  lat 
ter  is  rendered  unable  to  pay  them :  in  such  cases,  he 
should  not  only  meet  with  indulgence,  but,  in  some  in 
stances,  with-  a  remittal  of  the  rent.  But  in  the  ordina 
ry  course  of  these  transactions,  the  rents  ought  to  be  col 
lected  with  the  most  rigid  exactness,  especially  from  my 
tenants,  who  do  not,  for  most  of  the  farms,  pay  a  fourth 
of  what  the  tenements  would  let  for  if  they  were  now  in 
my  possession.  If  it  is  found  difficult  for  a  tenant  to^pay 
one  rent,  it  is  more  difficult  for  him  to  pay  two :  when 
three  are  due  he  despairs  or  cares  little  about  them : 
and,  if  it  runs  to  a  greater  number,  it  is  highly  probable 
to  avoid  paying  any,  he  leaves  you  the  bag  to  hold.  For 
these  reasons,  except  under  the  circumstances  before 
mentioned,  it  is  my  desire  that  you  will  give  all  the 
tenants  timely  notice,  that  you  will  give  no  indulgences 
beyond  those  allowed  by  the  covenants  in  the  leases.  If 
they  find  you  strict,  they  will  be  punctual;  if  other 
wise,  your  trouble  will  be  quadrupled,  and  I  can  have  no 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  133 

dependance  upon  my  rents,  which  are  now  my  principal 
support." 

In  a  letter  to  the  same,  written  from  Philadelphia,  on 
the  22d  of  February,  1795,  he  says  : 

<••  If  the  tenants  are  not  punctual  in  the  discharge  of 
their  rents,  when  they  become  due,  distrain  for  them 
without  delay  or  hesitation ;  unless  their  disability  to  pay, 
proceeds  from  some  providential  interposition,  or 
from  some  other  obvious  cause  which  entitles  them  to 
indulgence ;  for  it  may  be  depended  upon,  if  the  failure 
proceeds  from  idleness,  the  man  who  is  unable  to  pay 
one  rent  will  never  pay  two  willingly  ;  and,  generally, 
when  it  goes  beyond  that,  the  score  is  wiped  out." 

He  wrote  to  the  same  in  August,  1799  : — 

"  Of  the  facts  related  in  the  enclosed  letter,  relative 
to  the  loss  of  his  crop  by  the  Hessian  fly,  I  know  no 
thing.  If  it  should  appear  to  you  evident,  that  K— 
has  used  his  true  endeavour  to  raise  the  means  to  dis 
charge  his  rent,  and  is  deprived  thereof  by  an  act  of  Pro 
vidence,  I  am  willing,  however  illy  I  can  afford  to  do  it, 
to  make  some  reasonable  abatement  thereof,  of  which 
you,  from  inquiry,  will  be  the  best  judge." 

With  these  ample  evidences  of  Washington's  sincere 
belief  in  the  Providence  of  God,  and  entire  confidence  in 
the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  same,  whether  mani 
fested  in  the  fulfilment  or  frustration  of  his  private  wishes, 
whether  in  favour  or  in  opposition  to  his  personal  inter 
ests, — we  pass  on  to  the  next  subject  of  inquiry  claiming 
our  consideration. 


12 


134  EELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER    IV. 

HIS      DEVOTIONAL      HABITS. 

THE  claims  of  the  Almighty,  on  the  homage  of  his  in 
telligent  creatures,  are  confessed  by  mankind  with  a  har 
mony  of  assent,  that  is  accorded  by  them  to  few  other 
principles  of  religion.  His  greatness  and  his  glory  are 
too  manifest  to  admit  of  disagreement  on  this  point. 
While  it  is  freely  owned,  however,  that  He  ought  to  be 
worshipped  as  the  greatest  and  best  of  Beings,  it  is  not 
so  often,  or  so  cordially  admitted,  that  the  sacrifice  of 
prayer  is  an  equally  appropriate  offering.  The  spirit  of 
unbelief,  and  of  secret  aversion  to  a  service  demanding  a 
a  profound  humility  and  deep  prostration  of  soul,  causes 
some  to  reject  its  obligations  and  controvert  its  propriety, 
and  that  on  the  ground  of  God's  infinite  wisdom  and 
overflowing  benevolence.  In  these,  they  say,  we  may 
confidently  trust  for  the  supply  of  all  our  necessities. 
The  urgency  of  prayer,  therefore,  is  at  once  unnecessary 
and  presumptuous,  implying  distrust  of  the  divine" good 
ness,  and  a  disposition  to  prescribe  to  Him  whose  know 
ledge  is  perfect,  and  love  unbounded. 

In  opinions  so  vain  we  have,  indeed,  an  extreme  of 
folly  rarely  witnessed.  A  settled  aversion  to  the  duty  of 
prayer,  whether  in  public  or  private,  and  the  habitual 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  136 

neglect  thereof,  unaccompanied  by  excuse  or  extenuation, 
are  much  more  frequent  than  the  positive  denial  of  the  obli- 
tion.  Perhaps  there  is  no  one  habit  connected  with 
religion  which  finds  in  the  human  heart  a  more  thorough 
distaste,  or  one  which  mankind  more  entirely  refuse. 
It  is  not,  indeed,  unusual  for  persons  of  certain  disposi 
tions,  and  placed  in  particular  circumstances,  to  fall  in 
with  the  customs  of  society  in  regard  to  the  public  wor 
ship  of  God.  Acquiescing  in  the  manifest  propriety  of  so 
decent  a  practice,  they  go  to  the  House  of  God,  and 
unite  ostensibly  in  those  becoming  acts  of  adoration  and 
supplication,  which  mark  the  services  of  the  Sanctuary. 
But  all  this  time  there  is  no  relish  for  the  duty  of  prayer. 
The  closet  never  witnesses  their  bended  knee,  their  uplift 
ed  eye,  or  beseeching  voice.  The  secret  chamber,  where 
God  has  especially  promised  to  meet  and  bless  his  faith 
ful  people,  possesses  no  charms  for  them.  If  they  do,  at 
certain  times,  under  certain  circumstances,  when  oppress 
ed,  it  may  be,  by  calamity, — bow  the  knee  in  private,  it  is 
by  no  means  a  uniform  or  continuing  practice,  but  vary 
ing  ever  with  the  fluctuations  of  condition,  feeling,  or  oc 
cupation. 

What,  then,  were  the  habits  of  Washington  in  relation 
to  this  important  Christian  duty  ?  The  question  is  one 
of  much  moment,  in  reference  to  the  sincerity  of  his  re 
ligious  principles  and  professions.  And  in  proportion  to 
the  importance  of  the  inquiry  do  the  means  happily 
abound  of  prosecuting  the  same  to  a  satisfactory  issue. 

His  uniform  practice  from  youth  to  hoary  age,  furnish 
ed,  it  would  seem,  a  consistent  exemplification  of  this  duty 
in  its  double  aspect  of  public  and  private  prayer.  To 


136  EELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

these  we  propose  to  direct  the  attention  of  our  readers 
in  their  order. 

It  was  mentioned,  in  a  former  chapter,  that  Washing 
ton  spent  his  early  years  in  parts  of  the  country  well  fur 
nished  with  houses  of  worship.  He  was  then,  however, 
in  his  minority,  and  we  wish  now  to  speak  of  a  riper 
and  more  responsible  age.  The  first  decisive  indication 
of  his  principles  on  this  subject,  with  which  we  are  ac 
quainted,  appeared  during  the  encampment  at  the  Great 
Meadows,  in  the  year  1754.  While  occupying  Fort 
Necessity,  it  was  his  practice  to  have  the  troops  assem 
bled  for  public  worship.  This  we  learn  from  the  follow 
ing  note,  by  the  publisher  of  his  writings.  "  While 
Washington  was  encamped  at  the  Great  Meadows,  Mr. 
Fairfax  wrote  to  him  ;  <  I  will  not  doubt  your  having 
public  prayers  in  the  camp,  especially  when  the  Indian 
families  are  your  guests,  that  they,  seeing  your  plain 
manner  of  worship,  may  have  their  curiosity  excited  to 
be  informed  why  we  do  not  use  the  ceremonies  of  the 
French,  which  being  well  explained  to  their  understand 
ings,  will  more  and  more  dispose  them  to  receive  our 
baptism  and  unite  in  strict  bonds  of  cordial  friendship.' " 

"  It  may  be  added,  that  it  was  Washington's  custom 
to  have  prayers  in  the  camp  while  he  was  at  Fort  Ne 
cessity." 

Here  we  are  informed,  not  only  of  the  pious  custom 
of  the  youthful  commander,  at  the  time  and  place  men 
tioned,  but  are  enabled  to  gather  from  the  communica 
tion  of  Mr.  Fairfax,  much  that  was  highly  favourable  to 
the  character  of  his  young  friend.  Mr.  Fairfax  says,  "  I 
will  not  doubt  your  having  public  prayers  in  the  camp." 
Intimate  as  this  gentleman  was  with  Washington,  he 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  137 

would  scarcely  have  so  addressed  him  had  he  not  felt 
encouraged  to  do  so  by  his  known  sentiments  of  piety,  if 
not  his  known  habits.  Mr.  Fairfax  was  the  father-in- 
law  of  Lawrence  Washington,  the  brother  of  George, 
and  had  possessed  every  opportunity  of  learning  the 
character  and  conduct  of  the  latter.  Assured  of  his 
pious  and  serious  deportment,  he  did  not  feel  any  hesi 
tation  in  suggesting  to  him  the  expediency  of  the  duty 
in  question. 

That  it  was  customary  with  him  to  frequent  the 
House  of  God  when  in  his  power,  appears  from  the 
record  made  by  him  of  an  occurrence  amongst  his  sol 
diers,  while  encamped  in  Alexandria,  in  the  summer  of 
1754,  having  himself  returned  but  lately  on  a  recruiting 
expedition  from  the  Great  Meadows.  "  Yesterday,  while 
we  were  at  church,  twenty-five  of  them  collected,  and 
were  going  off  in  the  face  of  their  officers,  but  were  stop 
ped  and  imprisoned  before  the  plot  came  to  its  height." 

The  next  year  he  attended  the  fortunes  of  General 
Braddock,  a.:3  a  volunteer  aid-de-camp.  The  general 
being  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  the  Mononga- 
hela  died  on  the  third  night.  He  was  buried  in  his 
cloak  the  same  night  in  the  road,  to  elude  the  search  of 
the  Indians.  Washington,  on  the  testimony  of  an  old 
soldier,  read  the  funeral  service  over  his  remains,  by 
the  light  of  a  torch.  Faithful  to  his  commander  while 
he  lived,  he  would  not  suffer  him  to  want  the  customary 
rites  of  religion  when  dead.*  Though  the  probable  pur 
suit  of  savages  threatened,  yet  did  his  humanity  and 

*  It  was  very  common  in  that  day,  and  long  afterwards,  with  gen 
tlemen  in  Virginia,  to  perform  such  offices  for  a  departed  friend  in  the 
absence  of  a  clergyman. 

12* 


138  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

sense  of  decency  prevail,  to  gain  for  the  fallen  soldier  the 
honour  of  Christian  sepulture. 

After  this  period,  he  was  engaged  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war  for  some  years.  Of  his  habits,  during  the 
vicissitudes  of  that  trying  contest,  one  of  his  aids,  Colonel 
B.  Temple,  of  King  William  county,  Virginia,  has  been 
often  heard  to  say,  that,  "  frequently  on  the  Sabbath, 
he  has  known  Colonel  Washington  to  perform  divine 
service  with  his  regiment,  reading  the  scriptures  and 
praying  with  them,  when  no  chaplain  could  be  had."- 
For  a  considerable  part  of  the  time  during  that  border 
war,  his  regiment  was  without  a  chaplain,  of  which  he 
often  complained  in  his  communications  with  the 
governuor.  In  all  these  he  manifested  his  high  sense 
of  the  propriety  and  importance  of  public  worship.  In 
a  subsequent  letter  to  the  President  of  the  Council,  he 
says : — 

'  "  The  last  Assembly,  in  their  Supply  Bill,  provided 
for  a  chaplain  to  our  regiment.  On  this  subject  I  had 
often,  without  any  success,  applied  to  Governour  Din- 
widdie.  I  now  flatter  myself  that  your  Honour  will  be 
pleased  to  appoint  a  sober,  serious  man,  for  this  duty. 
Common  decency,  sir,  in  a  camp,  calls  for  the  services 
of  a  divine  which  ought  not  to  be  dispensed  with, 
although  the  world  should  be  so  uncharitable  as  to  think 
us  void  of  religion  and  incapable  of  good  instructions." 

The  following  extracts,  from  a  Diary  kept  by  him 
in  the  year  1760 — two  years  after  the  French  and  Indian 
war,  and  the  year  after  his  marriage — Avill  show  his 
practice  at  that  period.  Mount  Vernon,  as  is  known, 
was  now  his  residence. 

«  January  4th. — The  weather  continued  drizzling  and 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  139 

warm,  and  I  kept  the  house  all  day.  Mrs.  Washing 
ton  seeming  to  be  very  ill,  (with  the  measles,)  I  wrote 
to  Mr.  Green  this  afternoon,  desiring  his  company  to 
visit  her  in  the  morning. 

"  5th. — Mrs.  Washington  appeared  to  be  something 
better.  Mr.  Green,  however,  came  to  see  her  about  11 
o'clock,  and  in  an  hour  Mrs.  Fairfax  arrived.  Mr. 
Green  prescribed,  and  just  as  we  were  going  to  dinner, 
Captain  Walter  Stuart  appeared,  with  Dr.  Laurie  ;  the 
evening  being  very  cold,  and  the  wind  high,  Mrs.  Fair 
fax  went  home  in  the  chariot. 

"  6th. — The  chariot  not  returning  time  enough  from 
Colonel  Fairfax's,  we  were  prevented  from  going  to 
church.  Mrs.  Washington  is  a  good  deal  better 
to-day." 

It  would  appear  then,  that  even  Mrs.  Washington's 
indisposition  and  confinement  at  home,  would  not  have 
been  regarded  as  a  sufficient  excuse  for  neglecting  the 
public  worship  of  God,  had  not  the  unexpected  delay  of 
the  chariot  interfered  with  the  performance  of  that 
duty — it  being  perhaps  too  late,  after  its  arrival,  to 
prepare.  How  many  avail  themselves  of  less  valid 
excuses  for  neglecting  the  public  duties  of  the  Sabbath. 

"  May  4th. — Warm  and  fine,  set  out  for  Frederick, 
to  see  my  negroes  that  lay  ill  of  the  small-pox.  Took 
church  in  my  way  to  Coleman's,  where  I  arrived  about 
sun-setting." 

Some  time  subsequent  to  this  period,  the  old  parish 
church  being  in  a  state  of  decay,  the  present  one,  called 
Pohick  Church,  was  erected  on  a  new  site.  The  cir 
cumstances  attending  this  event  having  some  connexion 


140  HELIU1OUS    OPINIONS    AND 

with  our  subject,  shall  be  referred  to,  as  handed  down 
by  tradition. 

The  dilapidation  of  the  old  church  rendering  it  ex 
pedient  either  to  repair  or  rebuild,  the  subject  was 
agitated  in  the  vestry,  of  which  Colonel  Washington  was 
a  member.  It  having  been  determined,  after  due  con 
sideration,  that  a  new  church  should  be  built,  the  question 
of  location  next  presented  itself.  Colonel ,  a  pro 
minent  member  of  the  vestry,  was  in  favour  of  the  old 
situation  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  he  had  his 
residence.  Others  maintained  that  the  site  was  not 

sufficiently  central.     Colonel supposed  the  place,  if 

not  perfectly  central,  yet  not  seriously  inconvenient  of 
access  to  any ;  and  especially  thought  that  the  sacred 
associations  which  belonged  to  it,  as  the  place  of  worship 
for  several  generations,  and  as  hallowed  by  the  sepul 
chres  of  their  fathers,  should  induce  a  preference  for 

the  spot.  Colonel  Washington  differed  with  Colonel , 

''objecting  to  the  distance  and  the  inconvenience  to  which 
his  plan  would  subject  the  parishioners.  He,  moreover, 
could  not  see  the  force  of  the  consideration  derived  from 
the  contiguity  of  the  grave-yard.  He  thought  churches 
were  erected  for  the  living,  and  not  for  the  dead.  Nor 
was  it  necessary  that  any  desecration  of  the  place 
should  occur.  The  ashes  of  the  dead  could  be  pre 
served  inviolably  secure  by  a  proper  enclosure."  The 
vestry,  however,  adjourned,  without  coming  to  any  set 
tled  conclusion,  another  meeting  being  appointed  with 
a  view  to  a  final  decision. 

In  the  mean  time  Colonel  Washington  occupied 
himself  in  surveying  the  parish,  ascertaining  its  limits 
and  the  relative  position  of  the  old  church.  Having 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON  141 

done  this,  and  prepared  a  draught  of  the  survey  with 
his  usual  accuracy  and  neatness,  he  awaited  the  meeting 
of  the  vestry.  On  that  occasion,  Colonel  —  —  again 
urged,  aud  with  increased  vehemence,  the  claims  of 
the  old  situation.  Having  done  so.  Colonel  Washing 
ton  repeated  his  former  objections,  and  having  dwelt 
upon  the  remoteness  of  the  place,  took  from  his  pocket 
the  plan  which  he  had  prepared,  in  which  the  old 
church  Avas  found  to  be  in  an  extreme  corner  of  the 
parish.  This  ocular  demonstration  soon  settled  the  matter, 
and  brought  about  a  decision  against  the  old  and  in 
favour  of  the  new  location,  which  would  bring  the 
church  in  the  centre  of  the  parish. 

Here  it  was  at  the  new  or  Pohick  Church,  that  Wash 
ington  habitually  attended,  from  the  period  of  its  erec 
tion,  till  the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Here  he  offered  his  adorations  to  the  God  and  Father  of 
all,  and  here  received  the  symbols  of  a  Saviour's  love  at 
the  hands  of  the  consecrated  servant  of  the  altar.* 

The  Rev.  Lee  Massey  was  the  rector  of  the  parish  at 
the  time  here  referred  to.  He  was  a  highly  respectable 
man,  and  shared  much  of  the  esteem  of  Washington, 
In  regard  to  the  religious  deportment  of  his  distinguished 
friend,  especially  in  the  House  of  God,  he  has  often  been 
heard  to  express  himself  in  the  following  strain :  "  I 
never  knew  so  constant  an  attendant  on  church  as 
Washington.  And  his  behaviour  in  the  House  of  God, 
was  ever  so  deeply  reverential,  that  it  produced  the 
happiest  effects  on  my  congregation;  and  greatly  assist- 

*  The  writer  is  aware  that  in  the  view  of  many,  some  obscurity 
hang*  over  this  habit  of  Washington's  life.  The  reader  may  see  the 
subject  considered  in  the  Appendix,  note  A. 


142  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

ed  me  in  my  pulpit  labours.  No  company  ever  withheld 
him  from  church.  I  have  often  been  at  Mount  Vernon, 
on  the  Sabbath  morning,  when  his  breakfast  table  was 
filled  with  guests  ;  but  to  him  they  furnished  no  pretext 
for  neglecting  his  God,  and  losing  the  satisfaction  of 
setting  a  good  example.  For  instead  of  staying  at  home, 
out  of  false  complaisance  to  them,  he  used  constantly  to 
invite  them  to  accompany  him." 

In  the  year  1774,  Washington  went  to  Williamsburg 
as  a  member  of  the  house  of  burgesses.  The  horizon  of 
our  country  was  then  becoming  dark  with  clouds,  por 
tending  the  approach  of  war.  In  the  month  of  May,  a 
short  time  after  the  members  had  assembled,  information 
was  received  of  an  act  of  parliament  for  shutting  up  the 
port  of  Boston — to  take  effect  on  the  1st  of  June.  The 
members  being  much  excited  by  this  hostile  proceeding 
on  the  part  of  the  British  government,  when  they  met 
on  the  24th  of  May,  passed  an  order  that  the  1st  day 
of  June  "  should  be  set  apart  by  that  house  as  a  day  of 
fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer,  devoutly  to  implore  the 
divine  interposition  for  averting  the  heavy  calamity 
which  threatened  destruction  to  their  civil  rights,  and 
the  evils  of  civil  war,  and  to  give  them  one  heart  and 
one  mind,  firmly  to  oppose,  by  all  just  and  proper  means, 
every  injury  to  American  rights." 

June  the  1st  being  the  day  appointed  as  a  day  of  fast 
ing,  humiliation,  and  prayer,  the  following  brief  entry  is 
found  in  a  diary  kept  by  Washington  at  that  time : — 

"  June  1st,  Wednesday. —  Went  to  church,  and  fasted 
all  day." 

Will  the  reader  mark  especially  the  latter  clause  of 
this  note.  He  went  to  church  in  conformity  with  the 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  143 

order  passed  by  the  house  of  burgesses.     But  not  only 
so — he  did  that  also  which,  perhaps,  was  not  known 
to  any  mortal ;  which  was  known  only  to  God, — he  fast 
ed  all  day.     Who  is  not  struck  with  the  sincerity  and 
piety  of  this  conduct  ?  Who  that  was  acting  merely  from 
a  regard  to  outward  appearances,  would  thus  have  denied 
himself  throughout  the  whole  day.     He  bowed  himself, 
no  doubt,  with  profound  adoration  in  the  House  of  God  ; 
but  who  shall  say  with  what  earnestness  and  impor 
tunity  of  prayer  he  approached   the  throne   of  mercy 
in  the  retirement  and  secresy  of  his  chamber—  deprecat 
ing  the  horrors  of  that  storm  which  was,  to  his  practised 
ear,  then  muttering  hoarsely  in  the  distance ;  and  im 
ploring  those  blessings  on  his  country,  of  which  he  little 
thought  that  he  himself  should  prove  so  illustrious  an 
instrument.     But  God  was  training  his  servant  for  the 
mighty  work  which  awaited  him,  and  was  mingling  in 
his  soul  those  high  elements  of  faith,  fortitude,  and  self- 
denial,  essential   to  real  greatness   and  true   virtue  in 
man. 

In  September  of  this  year,  he  left  home  for  Philadel 
phia  as  a  member  from  Virginia,  of  the  first  congress 
about  to  meet  in  that  city.  The  following  entries  made 
in  his  diary,  show  him  still  mindful  of  the  Sabbath  day, 
and  of  the  duty  of  public  worship.  Being  a  stranger  in 
the  city,  and  lodging  at  a  public  house,  there  may  not 
have  been  the  regularity  of  attendance  which  usually 
distinguished  him. 

"  September  25th. — Went  to  the  Quaker  meeting  in 
the  forenoon,  and  to  St.  Peter's  in  the  afternoon  ;  dined 
at  my  lodgings* 


144  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

.  "  October  2d.  —  Went  to  Christ  church,  and  dined 
at  the  new  tavern. 

"  9th. — Went  to  the  Presbyterian  meeting  in  the  fore 
noon,  and  the  Romish  church  in  the  afternoon ;  dined 
at  Sevan's. 

"  16th. — Went  to  Christ  church  in  the  morning  ; 
after  which  rode  to  and  dined  at  the  Province  Island ; 
supped  at  Byrns's." 

The  congress  being  dissolved  on  the  26th  of  October, 
Washington  returned  to  Mount  Yernon.  He  was  again 
a  member  of  the  second  congress,  which  met  in  Phila 
delphia  the  following  year.  By  this  congress  he  was 
chosen,  as  is  known,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Ameri 
can  army  ;  resistance  to  Britain  having  been  firmly  re 
solved  upon.  And  through  that  protracted  and  eventful 
contest  which  followed  this  purpose,  in  what  spirit  did  the 
commander-in  chief  act  in  reference  to  the  sacred  duty 
under  consideration  ?  Was  he  still  the  same  ?  Was  he 
still  consistent  ?  In  the  confusion  and  bustle  of  a  camp, 
was  he  still  collected  and  mindful  of  the  claims  of  Him 
"  who  rules  in  the  armies  of  heaven  and  among  the  inha 
bitants  of  the  earth  ?  " 

The  day  after  he  took  command  of  the  army  an 
order  was  issued,  in  which  we  find  the  following  injunc 
tion  : 

"  The  General  requires  and  expects  of  all  officers 
and  soldiers,  not  engaged  on  actual  duty,  a  punctual  at 
tendance  011  divine  service,  to  implore  the  blessings  of 
heaven  upon  the  means  used  for  our  safety  and  defence." 

A  few  days  after  this  order  was  published,  the  Rev. 
William  Emerson,  a  chaplain  in  the  army,  writes  to  a 
friend : 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  145 

"  There  is  great  overturning  in  the  camp  as  to  order 
and  regularity.  New  lords,  new  laws.  The  Generals 
Washington  and  Lee  are  upon  the  lines  every  day.  New 
orders  from  his  Excellency  are  read  to  the  respective  re 
giments  every  morning,  after  prayers"  (fee. 

The  subjoined  extracts,  from  orders  issued  from  time 
to  time,  will  serve  to  witness  the  great  care  of  the  com 
mander  to  encourage  this  duty  : 

From  the  Orderly  Book,  May  15th,  1776  :— The  con 
tinental  congress  have  ordered  Friday,  the  17th  instant, 
to  be  observed  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation,  and 
prayer,  humbly  to  supplicate  the  mercy  of  Almighty  God, 
that  it  would  please  him  to  pardon  our  manifold  sins  and 
transgressions,  and  to  prosper  the  arms  of  the  United 
Colonies,  arid  finally  establish  the  peace  and  freedom 
of  America  upon  a  solid  and  lasting  foundation ;  the 
General  commands  all  officers  and  soldiers  to  pay  strict 
obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  continental  congress  ;  that, 
by  their  unfeigned  and  pious  observance  of  their  religious 
duties,  they  may  incline  the  Lord  and  Giver  of  victory 
to  prosper  our  arms." 

From  the  Orderly  Book,  August  3d.— «  That  the 
troops  may  have  an  opportunity  of  attending  public  wor 
ship,  as  well  as  to  take  some  rest  after  the  great  fatigue 
they  have  gone  through,  the  General,  in  future,  excuses 
them  from  fatigue  duty  on  Sunday,  except  at  the  ship 
yards,  or  on  special  occasions,  till  further  orders." 

In  a  Circular  from  the  Commander-in-chief  to  the 
brigadier  generals,  dated  the  26th  of  May,  1777,  are  the 
following  instructions  : — "  Let  vice  and  immorality,  cf 
every  kind,  be  discouraged  as  much  a -3  possible  in  your 

13 


146  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

brigade ;  and  as  a  chaplain  is  allowed  to  each  regiment, 
see  that  the  men  regularly  attend  divine  worship." 

From  the  Orderly  Book,  October  7th. — "  The  situation 
of  the  army  frequently  not  admitting  of  the  regular  per 
formance  of  divine  service,  on  Sundays,  the  chaplains  of 
the  army  are  forthwith  to  meet  together,  and  agree  on 
some  method  of  performing  it  at  other  times,  which 
method  they  will  make  known  to  the  Commander-in- 
chief." 

From  the  Orderly  Book,  Dec.  17th,  1777,  near  Valley 
Forge.  "  To-morrow  being  the  day  set  apart  by  the 
honourable  Congress  for  public  thanksgiving  and  praise, 
and  duty  calling  us  devoutly  to  express  our  grateful  ac 
knowledgments  to  God  for  the  manifold  blessings  he 
has  granted  us,  the  General  directs  that  the  army  re 
main  in  its  present  quarters,  and  that  the  chaplains  per 
form  divine  service  with  their  several  corps  and  brigades  ; 
and  earnestly  exhorts  all  officers  and  soldiers,  whose  ab 
sence  is  not  indispensably  necessary  to  attend  with  re 
verence  the  solemnities  of  the  day." 

The  interruptions  which  sometimes  occurred,  prevent 
ing  divine  service  being  performed  in  camp,  did  not  in 
terfere  with  attention  to  the  duty  on  the  part  of  the  Com 
mander-in-chief.  For  one  of  his  Secretaries,  Judge  Har 
rison,  has  often  been  heard  to  say,  that  "  whenever  the 
General  could  be  spared  from  camp,  on  the  Sabbath,  he 
never  failed  riding  out  to  some  neighbouring  church,  to 
join  those  who  were  publicly  worshipping  the  Great 
Creator."  This  was  done  by  him,  we  presume,  when 
there  was  no  public  worship  in  camp. 

On  the  day  succeeding  the  surrender  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  an  event  which  virtually  closed  the  war.  the  Gene- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  147 

ral  Order  issued  by  Washington,  concluded  in  the  fol 
lowing  words : — "  Divine  service  shall  be  performed  to 
morrow  in  the  different  brigades  and  divisions.  The 
Commander-in-chief  recommends,  that  all  the  troops  that 
are  not  upon  duty,  assist  at  it  with  a  serious  deportment, 
and  that  sensibility  of  heart,  which  the  recollection  of  the 
surprising  and  particular  interposition  of  Providence,  in 
our  favour,  claims." 

That  our  illustrious  countryman  continued  to  cherish 
the  same  high  reverence  for  the  sacred  institutions  of 
religion  to  the  end  of  his  life,  is  sustained  by  ample  evi 
dence.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  and  his  return  to 
Mount  Vernon,  in  December,  1783.  his  place  of  worship 
was  in  Alexandria.  It  is  probable  that  Pohick  Church 
had  been  closed  during  the  commotions  induced  by  the 
revolution.  At  least,  it  is  known  that  he  had  a  pew  in 
Christ  church,  Alexandria,  and  habitually  attended  di 
vine  service  there.  The  following  interesting  document 
will  evince  that  fact,  and  furnish  very  striking  proof  of 
his  unfeigned  desire  for  the  respectable  support  of  the 
Christian  ministry,  and  perpetual  maintenance  of  religious 
institutions  and  services.  The  design  of  the  paper  was, 
as  the  reader  will  observe,  to  subject  the  pews  of  the 
church  to  an  annual  rent,  by  a  voluntary  subscription 
thereto  on  the  part  of  the  pewholders.  Its  language  is  : — 

<;  We,  the  subscribers,  do  hereby  agree  that  the  pews 
we  now  hold  in  the  Episcopal  church  at  Alexandria, 
shall  be  forever  charged  with  an  annual  rent  of  five 
pounds,  Virginia  money,  each  ;  and  we  hereby  promise 
to  pay,  (each  for  himself  separately  promising  to  pay,) 
annually,  forever,  to  the  minister  and  vestry  of  the  Pro 
testant  Episcopal  Church  in  Fairfax  parish  ;  or,  if  the 


148  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

parish  should  be  divided,  to  the  minister  and  vestry  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Alexandria,  the  said 
sum  of  five  pounds  for  each  pew,  for  the  purpose  of  sup 
porting  the  ministry  in  the  said  church :  Provided,  ne 
vertheless,  that  if  any  law  of  this  commonwealth  should 
hereafter  compel  us,  our  heirs,  executors,  administrators, 
or  assigns,  to  pay  to  the  support  of  religion,  the  pew  rent, 
hereby  granted,  shall,  in  that  case,  be  considered  as  part 
of  what  we  may  by  such  law  be  required  to  pay  :  Pro 
vided,  also,  that  each  of  us  pay  only  in  proportion  to  the 
part  we  hold  of  the  said  pews.  For  the  performance  of 
which  payment,  well  and  truly  to  be  made,  forever,  an 
nually,  within  six  months  after  demanded,  we  hereby 
bind  ourselves,  (each  for  himself  separately,)  our  heirs, 
executors,  administrators,  and  assigns,  firmly  by  these 
presents.  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our 
hands  and  seals,  this  25th  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  1785." 

The  above  is  an  attested  copy  of  the  original,  now  on 
record  in  the  vestry  book  of  Christ  church,  Alexan 
dria.  The  article  was  signed  by  a  number  of  the  pew- 
holders,  the  name  of  "  G.  WASHINGTON"  being  at  the 
head  of  the  list,  in  his  own  hand-writing,  with  the  seal 
attached. 

Cordially  concurring,  as  he  did,  in  this  reasonable 
mode  of  raising  a  permanent  revenue  for  the  church,  by 
uniting  in  a  voluntary  subjection  of  his  pew  to  a  per 
petual  ground  rent,  the  father  of  his  country  evinced  that 
high  sense  of  justice  and  propriety,  together  with  that 
spirit  of  noble  liberality  for  which  he  was  ever  distin 
guished.  He  was  not  disposed,  in  the  absence  of  a  le 
gal  provision  for  the  support  of  religion,  to  hold  the  mau 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  149 

who  was  devoting  his  time  and  talents  to  the  good  of  a 
congregation,  subject  to  the  whims  and  caprices  of  the 
same,  for  the  amount  and  punctual  payment  of  his  in 
come.  Whilst  the  clergyman  willingly  engaged  to  ren 
der  certain  services  in  behalf  of  others,  Washington 
thought  that  they  should  be  willing,  on  their  parts,  to 
bind  themselves  to  render  him  a  due  compensation  for 
his  labours.  Nor  was  this  course  less  prudential  than 
generous  ;  for  what  would  a  pew  be  worth  if  the  pulpit 
should  be  unsupplied  ?  The  value  of  the  pew,  whether 
occupied  by  the  owner  or  transferred  to  another,  would 
certainly  depend  on  the  regularity  and  efficacy  with 
which  the  clerical  duties  were  performed.  A  cunning 
man  might  be  disposed  to  take  another  view  of  the  mat 
ter,  and  adopt  a  different  course,  refusing  to  bind  himself, 
with  the  vain  idea  of  reserving  his  liberty  of  action,  and 
perhaps  of  escaping  the  obligation  altogether  if  it  should 
prove  necessary.  But  a  man  so  magnanimous,  and  at 
the  same  time  practically  wise  as  Washington  was.  could 
never  act  in  any  other  way  than  as  he  did.  The  laws 
of  his  character  forbid  his  doing  otherwise. 

In  May  1787,  the  delegates  of  the  several  States 
assembled  in  Philadelphia,  with  a  view  to  the  formation 
of  a  constitution  for  the  better  government  of  the  Union. 
Of  this  illustrious  body,  Washington  was  unanimously 
chosen  President.  During  the  session  the  following 
occurrences  took  place.  The  account  thereof,  in  its 
present  authentic  form,  was  written  in  the  year  1825, 
by  an  intimate  friend  of  the  youngest  member  of  the 
convention.  The  part  here  given  is  that  relating  to 
the  reconsideration  of  the  provision  which  had  been 
made  in  the  beginning,  for  the  representation  of  the 

13* 


150  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

States  in  the  Senate.  It  had  been  determined,  that  re 
presentation  should  be  according  to  population.  To  this 
principle  the  representatives  from  the  four  smaller  states 
objected.  They  moved  a  reconsideration,  and  expressed 
their  purpose  of  withdrawing  from  the  convention,  unless 
the  constitution  was  so  modified,  as  to  give  each  state 
an  equal  representation. 

*'  There  was  much  warmth,"  says  the  writer  referred 
to,  and  some  acrimonious  feeling  exhibited  by  a  number 
of  the  speakers ;  a  rupture  appeared  almost  inevitable, 
and  the  bosom  of  Washington  seemed  to  labour  with 
the  most  anxious  solicitude  for  its  issue.  Happily 
for  the  United  States,  the  convention  contained  some  in 
dividuals  possessed  of  talents  and  virtues  of  the  highest 
order,  whose  hearts  were  deeply  interested  in  the  esta 
blishment  of  a  new  and  efficient  form  of  government, 
and  whose  penetrating  minds  had  already  deplored  the 
evils  which  would  spring  up  in  our  newly-established 
Republic,  should  the  present  attempt  to  consolidate  it 
prove  abortive.  Among  those  personages,  the  most  pro 
minent  was  Dr.  Franklin.  He  was  esteemed  the  men 
tor  of  our  body.  To  a  mind  naturally  strong  and  capa 
cious,  enriched  by  much  reading,  and  the  experience  of 
many  years,  he  added  a  manner  of  communicating  his 
thoughts  peculiarly  his  own,  in  which  simplicity, 
beauty,  and  strength,  were  equally  conspicuous.  As  soon 
as  the  angry  orators  who  had  preceded  him  had  left  him 
an  opening,  the  Doctor  rose,  evidently  impressed  with 
the  weight  of  the  subject  before  them,  and  the  difficulty 
of  managing  it  successfully." 

In  a  speech,  as  given  by  the  writer,  the  Doctor 
urged  the  consideration  of  the  great  interests  involved 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  151 

in  the  issue  of  their  deliberations,  and  proposed  a  recess 
of  three  days,  for  cool  reflection  and  impartial  conversa 
tions  among  the  members  respecting  their  conflicting 
views  and  opinions,  that  they  might  return  to  the  discus 
sion  of  the  subject  before  them  with  more  tranquil  and 
amicable  feelings.  He  then  concluded  in  the  following 
words : — 

<:  Before  I  sit  down,  Mr.  President,  I  will  suggest 
another  matter  ;  and  I  am  really  surprised  that  it  has 
not  been  proposed  by  some  other  member  at  an  earlier 
period  of  our  deliberations.  I  will  suggest,  Mr.  President, 
the  propriety  of  nominating  and  appointing,  before  we 
separate,  a  chaplain  to  this  convention,  whose  duty  it 
shall  be  uniformly  to  assemble  with  us,  and  introduce 
the  business  of  each  day  by  an  address  to  the  Creator  of 
the  universe,  and  the  Governour  of  all  nations,  beseeching 
Him  to  preside  in  our  council,  enlighten  our  minds  with 
a  portion  of  heavenly  wisdom,  influence  our  hearts 
with  a  love  of  truth  and  justice,  and  crown  our  labours 
with  complete  and  abundant  success." 

"  The  Doctor  sat  down ;  and  never  did  I  behold  a 
countenance  at  once  so  dignified  and  delighted,  as  was 
that  of  Washington  at  the  close  of  this  address ;  nor 
were  the  members  of  the  convention,  generally,  less  af 
fected.  The  words  of  the  venerable  Franklin  fell  upon 
our  ears  with  a  weight  and  authority,  even  greater  than 
we  may  suppose  an  oracle  to  have  had  in  a  Roman 
senate  !  A  silent  admiration  superseded  for  a  moment 
the  expression  of  that  assent  and  approbation  which  was 
strongly  marked  on  almost  every  countenance  ;  I  say 
almost — for  one  man  was  found  in  the  convention,  Mr. 
,  of ,who  rose  and  said,  with  regard  to  the  first 


152  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

motion  of  the  honourable  gentleman,  for  an  adjournment, 
he  would  yield  his  assent ;  but  he  protested  against  the 
second  motion  for  the  appointment  of  a  chaplain.  He 
then  commenced  a  high-strained  eulogium  on  the  assem 
blage  of  wisdom,  talent,  and  experience  which  the 
convention  embraced  ;  declared  the  high  sense  he  enter 
tained  of  the  honour  which  his  constituents  conferred 
upon  him  in  making  him  a  member  of  that  respectable 
body  ;  said  he  was  confidently  of  opinion  that  they  were 
competent  to  transact  the  business  which  had  been  en 
trusted  to  their  care  ;  that  they  were  equal  to  every  exi 
gence  which  might  occur  ;  and  concluded  by  saying, 
that,  therefore,  he  had  not  seen  the  necessity  of  foreign 
aid! 

li  Washington  fixed  his  eye  upon  the  speaker  with 
a  mixture  of  surprise  and  indignation,  while  he  ut 
tered  this  impertinent  and  impious  speech  ! — and  then 
looked  around  to  see  in  what  manner  it  affected  others. 
They  did  not  leave  him  a  moment  to  doubt — no  one 
deigned  to  reply,  or  take  the  smallest  notice  of  the 
speaker, — but  the  motion  for  appointing  a  chaplain  was 
instantly  seconded  and  carried ;  whether  under  the 

silent  disapprobation  of  Mr. ,  or  his  solitary  negative, 

I  do  not  recollect.  The  motion  for  an  adjourment  was 
then  put,  and  carried  unanimously ;  and  the  convention 
adjourned  accordingly. 

"The  three  days  of  recess  were  spent  in  the  man 
ner  advised  by  Dr.  Franklin  ;  the  opposite  parties  mixed 
with  each  other,  and  a  free  and  frank  interchange  of  sen 
timents  took  place:  On  the  fourth  day  we  assembled 
again  ;  and  if  great  additional  light  had  not  been  thrown 
on  the  subject,  every  unfriendly  feeling  had  been  ex- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  153 

pelled ;  and  a  spirit  of  conciliation  had  been  cultivated, 
which  promised,  at  least,  a  calm  and  dispassionate  re 
consideration  of  the  subject. 

"As  soon  as  the  chaplain  had  closed  his  prayer,  and 
the  minutes  of  the  last  sitting  were  read,  all  eyes  were 
turned  to  the  Doctor.  He  rose,  and  in  a  few  words, 
stated  that  during  the  recess  he  had  listened  attentively 
to  all  the  arguments,  pro  and  con,  which  had  been  urged 
by  both  sides  of  the  house  ;  that  he  had  himself  said 
much,  and  thought  more  on  the  subject ;  he  saw  diffi 
culties  and  objections  which  might  be  urged  by  indivi 
dual  States  against  every  scheme  which  had  been  pro 
posed  ;  and  he  was  now  more  than  ever  convinced  that 
the  constitution  which  they  were  about  to  form,  in  order 
to  be  just  and  equal,  must  be  founded  on  the  basis  of 
compromise  and  mutual  concession.  With  such  views 
and  feelings,  he  would  move  a  reconsideration  of  the 
vote  last  taken  on  the  organization  of  the  senate.  The 
motion  was  seconded,  the  vote  carried,  the  former  vote 
rescinded,  and  by  a  successful  motion  and  resolution, 
the  senate  wras  organized  on  the  present  plan." 

In  a  year  or  two  from  this  time,  by  the  united 
voice  of  a  free  people,  Washington  was  elevated  to  the 
high  office  of  President  of  the  United  States. 

In  this  exalted  station  his  conduct  continued  to  be 
distinguished  by  the  same  uniform  and  punctual  observ 
ance  of  religious  duties  which  had  always  marked  his 
life.  As  he  was  chiefly  resident  in  Philadelphia,  during 
the  eight  years  of  his  administration,  he  had  a  pew  in 
Christ  church  of  that  city,  of  which  the  venerable 
Bishop  White  was  then,  as  he  is  still,  the  Rector,*  being 

*  This  venerable  man  has  died,  since  the  above  was  written,  uni 
versally  esteemed  and  honoured. 


154  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

now  near  his  ninetieth  year.  During  all  the  time  that 
he  was  in  the  government,  Washington  was  punctual  in 
his  attendance  on  divine  worship.  His  pew  was  seldom 
vacant  when  the  weather  would  permit  him  to  attend. 
In  regard  to  his  habit,  at  that  time,  the  living  grandson 
of  Mrs.  Washington,  Geo.  W.  P.  Custis,  Esq.  of  Arling 
ton,  bears  the  following  testimony  : 

"  On  Sundays,  unless  the  weather  was  uncommonly 
severe,  the  President,  and  Mrs.  Washington,  attended 
divine  service  at  Christ  church ;  and  in  'the  evenings 
the  President  read  to  Mrs.  Washington,  in  her  chamber, 
a  sermon,  or  some  portion  from  the  Sacred  Writings. 
No  visitors,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Speaker  Trum- 
bull,  were  admitted  to  the  presidoliad  on  Sundays." 

After  his  retirement  from  the  Chair  of  State,  he  still 
continued  the  same  in  spirit  and  practice.  The  church 
in  Alexandria  was  again  his  place  of  worship.  The 
distance,  indeed,  was  nine  miles,  and  yet  his  pew  was 
seldom  unoccupied  on  the  Lord's  day.  The  writer, 
many  years  since,  had  the  following  circumstances,  in 
relation  to  this  habit  of  the  ex-President,  from  a  valued 
female  friend,  now  numbered  with  the  dead. 

"  In  the  summer  of  1799,"  said  Mrs.  M.,  "  I  was  in 
Alexandria,  on  a  visit  to  the  family  of  Mr.  H.,  with 
whom  I  was  connected  by  the  ties  of  relationship. 
Whilst  there,  I  expressed  a  wish  to  see  General  Wash 
ington,  as  I  had  never  enjoyed  that  pleasure.  My 
friend  Mrs.  H.,  observed,  '  You  will  certainly  see  him  on 
Sunday,  as  he  is  never  absent  from  church  when  he 
can  get  there  ;  and  as  he  often  dines  with  us,  we  will  ask 
him  on  that  day,  when  you  will  have  a  better  opportu 
nity  of  seeing  him.'  Accordingly,  we  all  repaired  to 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  155 

church  on  Sunday,  and  seated  in  Mr.  H.'s  large  double 
pew,  I  kept  my  eyes  upon  the  door,  looking  for  the  vener 
able  form  of  him  I  had  so  long  desired  to  see.  Many 
persons  entered  the  doors,  but  none  came  up  to  my 
impressions  of  General  Washington's  appearance.  At 
length,  a  person  of  noble  and  majestic  figure  entered, 
and  the  conviction  was  instantaneous  that  I  beheld  the 
Father  of  his  Country.  It  was  so  ! — my  friend  at  that 
moment  intimated  the  fact  to  me.  He  walked  to  his 
pew,  at  the  upper  part  of  the  church,  and  demeaned 
himself  throughout  the  services  of  the  day  with  that 
gravity  and  propriety  becoming  the  place  and  his  own 
high  character.  After  the  services  were  concluded  we 
waited  for  him  at  the  door,  for  his  pew  being  near  the 
pulpit  he  was  among  the  last  that  came  out — when 
Mrs.  H.  invited  him  to  dine  with  us.  He  declined,  how 
ever,  the  invitation,  observing,  as  he  looked  at  the  sky, 
that  he  thought  there  were  appearances  of  a  thunder 
storm  in  the  afternoon,  and  he  believed  he  would  return 
home  to  dinner." 

This  occurrence  is  introduced,  not  for  any  peculiar 
interest  belonging  to  it,  but  merely  for  confirmation : 
showing  the  punctuality  and  conscientiousness  with 
which  Washington  attended  to  the  duty  in  question, 
even  to  old  age.  He  was  now  within  six  months  of  his 
death,  having  reached  his  68th  year ;  and  yet  he  is  not 
to  be  detained  on  the  Sabbath  from  the  House  of  God, 
either  by  distance  or  the  fervours  of  a  summer  sun. 

It  may  here  be  added,  simply  as  evidence  of  his  de 
votional  habits,  that  he  always  said  grace  at  table.  On 
one  occasion,  from  the  force  of  habit,  he  performed  this 
duty  himself  when  a  clergyman  was  present — an  in- 


156  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

stance  of  indecorum  very  unusual  with  him.  Being 
told,  after  the  clergyman's  departure,  of  the  incivility,  he 
expressed  his  regret  at  the  oversight,  but  added,  "  the 
reverend  gentleman  will  at  least  be  assured,  that  we  are 
not  entirely  graceless  at  Mount  Vernon." 

Thus  have  we  ample  illustration  of  the  unvarying 
practice  to  which  the  principles  of  Washington  led  him, 
in  regard  to  the  sacred  duty  of  public  worship.  It  may 
be,  however,  that  the  fullest  admission  of  his  zeal  and 
good  example  in  this  respect,  does  not  necessarily  imply 
a  conviction  of  his  inward  faith  and  piety.  Some  may 
think,  that  this  outward  attention  to  religion  had  no 
higher  source  than  patriotism — than  a  regard  for  the 
prevalence  of  morality  and  good  order  in  society — of 
which  ends  he  no  doubt  considered  the  public  worship  of 
God  to  be  highly  promotive.  That  these  motives  alone 
did  riot  originate  his  devotional  habits,  as  evinced  in  the 
House  of  God,  we  are  well  assured ;  and  in  confirmation, 
shall  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  those  habits  of 
private  prayer  ascribed  to  him ;  and  which,  if  once 
fully  verified,  will  forever  settle  the  question  of  his  faith 
and  devotional  feeling.  He  who  prays  habitually  in 
secret,  furnishes  the  best  possible  evidence  of  his  sincerity. 
Such  a  one  cannot  be  a  dissembler.  He  has  regard  to 
no  eye,  but  that  of  his  Maker.  If  it  is  inevitable  that  a 
man's  private  habits,  in  this  respect,  will  be  known  to 
his  family,  or  those  who  are  intimate  with  him  ;  yet,  it 
is  clear  that  no  motive  can  arise  from  such  a  source  to 
induce  long  continued  perseverance  in  the  duty.  This  • 
must  be  sustained  by  other  influences.  "  Private  pray 
er,"  says  a  good  writer,  "  differs  from  public  prayer  in 
several  respects.  The  proper  subjects  cf  public  prayer 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  157 

are  such  wants  as  belong  to  men  in  general.  In  private 
prayer,  the  wants  of  our  particular  state,  our  peculiar 
trials,  dangers,  and  temptations,  form  the  proper  subjects 
of  our  addresses.  Hence,  private  prayer  is  a  peculiarly 
interesting  part  of  devotion.  It  may  also  be  considered 
as  more  spiritual  in  its  nature.  In  public  prayer  there 
are  many  outward  things  to  excite  the  affections — all 
good  and  profitable,  perhaps,  in  themselves ;  still  L; 
must  be  owned,  that  the  less  our  devotion  arises  from 
outward  causes,  and  the  less  it  depends  on  these,  the 
more  likely  is  it  to  be  the  genuine  feeling  of  a  pious 
heart;  actuated  by  gratitude  to  God,  admiration  of  his 
perfections,  love  to  his  character,  confidence  in  his  provi 
dence,  and  faith  in  his  promises.  Private  prayer,  there 
fore,  is  far  more  likely  to  be  the  result  of  a  real  fear  and 
love  of  God.  It  cannot,  at  least,  be  the  offspring  of  osten 
tation  ;  nor  is  it  easy  to  conceive  that  it  should  flow  from 
hypocrisy. 

*#*##*## 

<;  Private  prayer  is  also  a  better  test,  or  index,  of  the 
state  of  the  soul,  than  public  worship.  Every  man  is, 
what  he  is  in  secret.  When  no  eye  is  upon  him,  them 
his  true  character  and  feelings  show  themselves.  If, 
then,  he  sincerely  and  devoutly  pours  out  his  heart  be 
fore  God  ;  if,  then,  he  truly  mourns  his  sins,  and  fer 
vently  desires  to  obtain  divine  grace  to  pardon  and 
sanctify  him,  there  is  good  ground  for  believing  that  he 
is  a  real  disciple  of  Christ." 

In  our  inquiries  respecting  this  practice  of  Washing 
ton,  the  same  amount  or  variety  of  matter  will  not  be 
expected  as  abounded  in  testimony  of  his  more  public 
habits.  And  yet  there  is  enough  to  satisfy  every  mind 

14 


158  RELIGIOUS    OPINION*    AND 

that  he  was  not  less  punctual  and  unremitting  in  his 
attention  to  the  duties  of  the  closet,  than  to  those  of  the 
public  Sanctuary. 

At  what  period  of  life  his  observance  of  this  sacred 
duty  commenced  it  is  impossible  for  mortals  to  know. 
But  the  following  instances  of  secret  prayer  are  submit 
ted  with  the  most  perfect  assurance  of  the  certainty  of 
their  occurrence. 

We  before  adduced  the  testimony  of  one  of  his  aids  in 
the  French  and  Indian  War,  to  his  habit  of  reading  the 
Scriptures  and  praying  with  his  troops  on  Sundays,  in 
the  absence  of  the  chaplain.  This  same  individual. 
Col.  B.  Temple,  has  often  been  heard  to  say  in  connex 
ion  with  the  above,  a  that  on  sudden  and  unexpected 
visits  into  his  (Washington's)  marquee,  he  has,  more 
than  once,  found  him  on  his  knees  at  his  devotions." 

The  annexed  article  will  furnish  another  well  au 
thenticated  instance,  occurring  at  a  subsequent  period  of 
his  life. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  a  Baptist  minister  to  the 
Editor  of  the  (Boston)  Christian  Watchman,  dated  Bal 
timore,  January  13, 1832  : 

"  The  Meeting-house  (which  is  built  of  stone)  be 
longing  to  the  church  just  alluded  to,  is  in  sight  of  the 
spot  on  which  the  American  army,  under  the  command 
of  General  Washington,  was  encamped  during  a  most 
severe  winter.  This,  you  know,  was  then  called  '  Val 
ley  Forge}  It  is  affecting  to  hear  the  old  people  nar 
rate  the  sufferings  of  the  army,  when  the  soldiers  were 
frequently  tracked  by  the  blood  from  their  sore  and  bare 
feet,  lacerated  by  the  rough  and  frozen  roads  over  which 
they  were  obliged  to  pass. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  159 

<c  You  will  recollect  that  a  most  interesting  incident,  in 
relation  to  the  life  of  the  great  American  Commander-in- 
chief,  has  been  related  as  follows  : — That  while  station 
ed  here  with  the  army,  he  was  frequently  observed  to 
visit  a  secluded  grove.  This  excited  the  curiosity  of  a 
Mr.  Potts,  of  the  denomination  of  <  Friends?  who 
watched  his  movements  at  one  of  these  seasons  of  retire 
ment,  till  he  perceived  that  he  was  on  his  knees  and 
engaged  in  prayer,  Mr.  Potts  then  returned,  and  said 
to  his  family,  *  Our  cause  is  lost?  (he  was  with  the 
lories,)  assigning  his  reasons  for  this  opinion.  There  is 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Devault  Beaver,  now  living  on 
this  spot,  (and  is  eighty  years  of  age)  who  says  he  hag 
had  this  statement  from  Mr.  Potts  and  his  family.  I 
had  before  heard  this  interesting  anecdote  in  the  life  of 
our  venerated  Washington,  but  had  some  misgivings 
about  it,  all  of  which  are  now  most  fully  removed." 

It  may  be  added,  that  besides  the  individual  named  by 
the  above  writer  as  having  witnessed  the  private  devo 
tions  of  Gen.  Washington  at  Valley  Forge,  it  is  known 
that  Gen.  Knox  also  was  an  accidental  witness  of  the 
same,  and  was  fully  apprized  that  prayer  was  the  object 
of  the  Commander's  frequent  visits  to  the  grove.  This 
officer  was  especially  devoted  to  the  person  of  the  Com 
mander-in-chief,  and  had  very  free  and  familiar  access 
to  him,  which  may  in  some  measure,  account  for  his  par 
ticular  knowledge  of  his  habits. 

That  an  adjacent  wood  should  have  been  selected  as 
his  private  oratory,  while  regularly  encamped  for  the 
winter,  may  excite  the  inquiry  of  some.  The  cause 
may  possibly  be  found  in  the  fact  that,  in  common  with 
the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  army,  he  lodged  during 


160  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS    AND 

that  winter  in  a  log  hut,  which,  from  the  presence  of  Mrs. 
Washington,  and  perhaps  other  inmates,  and  the  few 
ness  of  the  apartments,  did  not  admit  of  that  privacy 
proper  for  such  a  duty. 

Another  instance  of  this  pious  habit,  witnessed  during 
the  war,  has  more  recently  been  brought  to  light. 

In  the  year  1820,  a  clergyman  of  this  State,  being  in 
company  with  Major  -  — ,  a  relative  of  Gen.  Wash 
ington,  had  an  accidental  conversation  with  him  on  the 
subject  of  Christianity.  The  conversation  was  of  a  con 
troversial  nature  in  the  beginning,  and  as  no  good  seem 
ed  to  ensue,  but  some  warmth  of  feeling,  an  effort  was 
made  to  arrest  the  unprofitable  discussion  by  an  inquiry 
made  of  the  Major,  as  to  the  religious  opinions  of  his  dis 
tinguished  kinsman,  the  subject  of  these  pages.  This 
was  done  in  part,  as  knowing  his  veneration  for  Wash- 
ington,  and  for  information  too,  as  he  had  been  cap 
tain  of  the  General's  body  guard,  during  a  greater  part 
of  the  war,  and  possessed  the  best  opportunities  of  learn 
ing  his  views  and  habits.  In  answer  to  the  question,  he 
observed,  after  hesitating  for  a  moment,  "  Gen.  Wash 
ington  was  certainly  a  pious  man,  his  opinions  being  in 
favour  of  religion,  and  his  habits  all  of  that  character 
and  description."  Being  further  interrogated  as  to  his 
habits — he  replied,  that  his  uncle,  he  knew,  was  in  the 
habit  of  praying  in  private— and  with  the  animation  of 
an  old  soldier,  excited  by  professional  recollections,  rather 
than  sympathy  with  the  subject,  he  related  the  circum 
stances  of  the  following  occurrence  "  While  encamped 

ftt  —  *  N.  J.,  a  soldier  arrived  one  morning,  about 

day-break,  with  despatches  for  the  Commander-in-chief, 

*  The  year  and  place  forgotten  by  the  writer. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  161 

from  a  distant  division  of  the  army.  As  soon  as  his  busi 
ness  was  known,  he  was  directed  to  me  as  captain  of 
the  body  guard,  to  whom  he  came  forthwith,  and  giv 
ing  me  his  papers,  I  repaired  at  once  to  the  General's 
quarters.  On  my  way  to  his  room  after  reaching  the 
house,  I  had  to  go  along  a  narrow  passage  of  some  length. 
As  I  approached  his  door,  it  being  yet  nearly  dark,  I 
was  arrested  by  the  sound  of  a  voice.  I  paused  and 
listened  for  a  moment,  when  I  distinguished  it  as  the 
General's  voice,  and  in  another  moment  found  that  he 
was  engaged  in  audible  prayer.  As  in  his  earnestness 
he  had  not  heard  my  footsteps,  or  if  he  heard  me  did 
not  choose  to  be  interrupted,  I  retired  to  the  front  of  the 
dwelling,  till  such  time  as  I  supposed  him  unengaged  ; 
when  returning,  and  no  longer  hearing  his  voice,  1  knock 
ed  at  the  door,  which  being  promptly  opened,  I  delivered 
the  despatches,  received  an  answer,  and  dismissed  the 
soldier." 

How  impressive  an  example  of  sincere  devotion  have 
we  here  !  The  leader  of  our  armies,  though  oppressed 
with  cares  and  labours,  an  unequalled  burden,  yet  for 
sakes  his  friendly  couch  at  the  dawn  of  day,  and  upon 
his  knees  <;  cries  unto  God  with  his  voice."  He  is  not 
content  with  imuttered  prayer.  His  earnestness  seeks  its 
natural  vent  in  audible  and  articulate  sounds. 

"The  habit  of  early  rising,"  says  a  pious  writer,*  lt  is 
of  great  importance  to  the  due  discharge  of  morning 
prayer.  Oh,  how  many  precious  hours  do  indolent 
Christians  lose  ;  while  those  who  are  more  self-denying 
and  diligent,  are  gaining  the  favour  of  God  and  enjoying 
communion  with  him." 

*  Bickersteth, 

14* 


162  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

"  It  was  the  daily  practice  of  the  eminent  physician 
Boerhaave,"  says  the  same  writer,  "  through  his  whole 
life,  as  soon  as  he  rose  in  the  morning,  which  was  gene 
rally  very  early,  to  retire  for  an  hour  to  private  prayer 
and  meditation  on  some  part  of  the  Scriptures.  He 
often  told  his  friends,  when  they  asked  him  how  it  was 
possible  for  him  to  go  through  so  much  fatigue  with  such 
patience  and  quietness,  that  it  was  this  which  gave  him 
spirit  and  vigour  in  the  business  of  the  day.  This  he 
therefore  recommended  as  the  best  rule  which  he  could 
give." 

An  additional  example  as  occurring  during  the  war, 
and  taken  from  a  respectable  literary  journal  published 
in  New- York,  is  here  inserted  as  having  in  its  promi 
nent  points,  all  the  appearance  of  truth. 

"  One  pleasant  evening  in  the  month  of  June,  in 
the  year  17 — ,  a  man  was  observed  entering  the  bor 
ders  of  a  wood,  near  the  Hudson  river,  his  appearance 
that  of  a  person  above  the  common  rank.  The  inha 
lants  of  a  country  village  would  have  dignified  him  with 
the  title  of  squire,  and  from  his  manner,  have  pronounced 
him  proud  ;  but  those  more  accustomed  to  society  would 
inform  you,  there  was  something  like  a  military  air 
about  him.  His  horse  panted  as  if  it  had  been  hard 
pushed  for  some  miles,  yet  from  the  owner's  frequent 
£tops  to  caress  the  patient  animal,  he  could  not  be 
Charged  with  want  of  humanity ;  but  seemed  to  be 
actuated  by  some  urgent  necessity.  The  rider's  forsaking 
ft  good  road  for  the  by-path  leading  through  the  woods, 
indicated  a  desire  to  avoid  the  gaze  of  other  travellers. 
He  had  not  left  the  house  where  he  inquired  the  direction 
of  the  above  mentioned  path  more  than  two  hours,  be- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  163 

fore  the  quietude  of  the  place  was  broken  by  the  noise 
of  distant  thunder.  He  was  soon  after  obliged  to  dis 
mount,  travelling  becoming  dangerous,  as  darkness  con 
cealed  surrounding  objects,  except  when  the  lightning's 
terrific  flash  afforded  a  momentary  view  of  his  situation. 
A  peal  louder  and  of  longer  duration  than  any  of  the 
preceding,  which  now  burst  over  his  head,  seeming  as 
if  it  would  rend  the  woods  asunder,  was  quickly  followed 
by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain,  which  penetrated  the  clothing 
of  the  stranger  ere  he  could  obtain  the  shelter  of  a  large 
oak,  which  stood  at  a  little  distance. 

"  Almost  exhausted  with  the  labours  of  the  day,  he  was 
about  making  such  disposition  of  the  saddle  and  his 
own  coat,  as  would  enable  him  to  pass  the  night  with 
what  comfort  circumstances  would  admit,  when  he  espied 
a  light  glimmering  through  the  trees.  Animated  with 
the  hope  of  better  lodgings,  he  determined  to  proceed. 
The  way,  which  was  somewhat  steep,  became  attended 
with  more  obstacles  the  farther  he  advanced,  the  soil 
being  composed  of  clay,  which  the  rain  had  rendered  so 
soft  that  his  feet  slipped  at  every  step.  By  the  utmost 
perseverance,  this  difficulty  was  finally  overcome  with 
out  any  accident,  and  he  had  the  pleasure  of  finding  him 
self  in  front  of  a  decent  looking  farm-house.  The  watch 
dog  began  barking,  which  brought  the  owner  of  the 
mansion  to  the  door. 

«  Who  is  there  ?  "  said  he. 

"  A  friend  who  has  lost  his  way,  and  in  search  of  a 
place  of  shelter,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Come  in,  sir,"  added  the  first  speaker,  "  and  what 
ever  my  house  will  afford,  you  shall  have  with  wel- 


161  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  I  must  first  provide  for  the  weary  companion  of 
my  journey,"  remarked  the  other. 

"  But  the  former  undertook  the  task,  and  after  conduct 
ing  the  new-comer  into  a  room  where  his  wife  was 
seated,  he  led  the  horse  to  a  well-stored  barn,  and  there 
provided  for  him  most  bountifully.  On  rejoining  the 
traveller,  he  observed,  <•  That  is  a  noble  animal  of  yours, 
sir." 

"  Yes,''  was  the  reply,  "  and  I  am  sorry  that  1  was 
obliged  to  misuse  him  so,  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  give 
you  much 'trouble  with  the  care  of  him  ;  but  I  have  yet 
to  thank  you  for  your  kindness  to  both  of  us.'' 

"I  did  no  more  than  my  duty,  sir,"  said  the  enter 
tainer,  "  and  therefore  am  entitled  to  no  thanks.  But 
Susan/'  added  he,  turning  to  the  hostess,  with  a  half- 
reproachful  look,  '•  why  have  you  not  given  the  gentle 
man  something  to  eat  ?" 

"  Fear  had  prevented  the  good  woman  from  exercising 
her  well-known  benevolence ;  for  a  robbery  had  been 
committed,  by  a  lawless  band  of  depredators,  but  a  few 
days  before,  in  that  neighbourhood,  and  as  report  stated 
that  the  ruffians  were  all  well  dressed,  her  imagination 
suggested  that  this  man  might  be  one  of  them. 

"  At  her  husband's  remonstrance,  she  now  readily  en 
gaged  in  repairing  her  error,  by  preparing  a  plentiful 
repast.  During  the  meal,  there  was  much  interesting 
conversation  among  the  three.  As  soon  as  the  worthy 
countryman  perceived  that  his  guest  had  satisfied  his  ap 
petite,  he  informed  him.  that  it  was  now  the  hour  at 
which  the  family  usually  performed  their  evening  devo 
tions,  inviting  him  at  the  same  time  to  be  present.  The 
invitation  was  accepted  in  these  words  : 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  165 

"  It  would  afford  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  commune 
with  my  heavenly  Preserver,  after  the  events  of  the  day ; 
such  exercises  prepare  us  for  the  repose  we  seek  in  sleep." 

"  The  host  now  reached  his  Bible  from  the  shelf,  and 
after  reading  a  chapter  and  singing,  concluded  the  whole 
with  a  fervent  prayer ;  then  lighting  a  pine-knot,  con 
ducted  the  person  he  had  entertained  to  his  chamber, 
wished  him  a  good  night's  rest,  and  retired  to  the  adjoin 
ing  apartment. 

4i  John,"  whispered  the  woman,  "  that  is  a  good  gentle 
man,  and  not  one  of  the  highwaymen  as  I  supposed." 

"  Yes,  Susan,"  said  he,  "  I  like  him  better  for  thinking 
of  his  God,  than  for  all  his  kind  inquiries  after  our  wel 
fare.  I  wish  our  Peter  had  been  home  from  the  army, 
if  it  was  only  to  hear  this  good  man  talk;  I  am  sure 
Washington  himself  could  not  say  more  for  his  country, 
nor  give  a  better  history  of  the  hardships  endured  by 
our  brave  soldiers." 

"  Who  knows  now,"  inquired  the  wife,  "  but  it  may  be 
he  himself  after  all,  iny  dear,  for  they  do  say,  he  travels 
just  so,  all  alone,  sometimes.*  Hark  !  what'  s  that?'' 

"  The  sound  of  a  voice  came  from  the  chamber  of  their 

*  In  the  summer  of  1779  Washington  had  his  Head-Quarters  on 
the  Hudson  river.  That  he  was  in  the  habit  of  travelling  alone 
sometimes  during  the  war  is  well  known.  The  circumstances  men 
tioned  above  are  said  to  have  occurred  in  the  month  of  June, — the 
year  it  would  seem  not  remembered.  It  appears  from  one  of  his  letters 
that  he  was  absent  fcom  camp  for  a  day  or  two,  about  that  time  in 
1779.  In  a  letter  dated  New  Windsor,  July  the  9th,  he  says,  "I  did 
not  receive,  intelligence  of  this  till  the  afternoon  of  the  7th  inst.,  having 
been  absent  from  head-quarrers  from  the  morning  of  the  preceding 
d  iy,  on  a  visit  to  our  outposts  below,  and  those  lately  established  by 
the  enemy." 


166  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

guest,  who  was  now  engaged  in  his  private  religions 
worship.  After  thanking  the  Creator  for  his  many 
mercies,  and  asking  a  blessing  on  the  inhabitants  of  the 
house,  he  continued,  'And  now,  almighty  Father,  if  it  is 
thy  holy  will,  that  we  shall  obtain  a  place  and  a  name 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  grant  that  we  may  be 
enabled  to  show  our  gratitude  for  thy  goodness,  by  our 
endeavours  to  fear  and  obey  thee.  Bless  us  with  wisdom 
in  our  councils,  success  in  battle,  and  let  all  our  victories 
be  tempered  with  humanity.  Endow  also  our  enemies 
with  enlightened  minds,  that  they  may  become  sensible 
of  their  injustice,  and  willing  to  restore  our  liberty  and 
peace.  Grant  the  petition  of  thy  servant  for  the  sake  of 
Him  whom  thou  hast  called  thy  Beloved  Son  ;  never 
theless,  not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done.  Amen.'  " 

"  The  next  morning,  the  traveller,  declining  the  press 
ing  solicitations  to  breakfast  with  his  host,  declared  it 
was  necessary  for  him  to  cross  the  river  immediately ;  at 
the  same  time  offering  a  part  of  his  purse,  as  a  compen 
sation  for  the  attention  he  had  received,  which  was 
refused. 

"  Well,  sir,"  concluded  he,  i(  since  you  will  not  permit 
me  to  recompense  you  for  your  trouble,  it  is  but  just  that 
I  should  inform  you  on  whom  you  have  conferred  so 
many  obligations,  and  also  add  to  them  by  requesting 
your  assistance  in  crossing  the  river.  I  had  been  out 
yesterday,  endeavouring  to  obtain  some  information 
respecting  our  enemy,  and,  being  alone,  ventured  too  far 
from  the  camp ;  on  my  return  I  was  surprised  by  a 
foraging  party,  and  only  escaped  by  my  knowledge 
of  the  roads  and  the  fleetness  of  my  horse.  My  name 
is  GEORGE  WASHINGTON/' 


CHARACTER  OP  WASHINGTON.  167 

"  Surprise  kept  the  listener  silent  for  a  moment ;  then, 
after  unsuccessfully  repeating  the  invitation  to  partake 
of  some  refreshment,  he  hastened  to  call  two  negroes, 
with  whose  assistance  he  placed  the  horse  on  a  small 
raft  of  timber,  that  was  lying  in  the  river  near  the 
door,  and  soon  conveyed  the  General  to  the  opposite 
side,  where  he  left  him  to  pursue  his  way  to  the  camp, 
wishing  him  a  safe  and  prosperous  journey.  On  his 
return  to  the  house,  he  found  that  while  he  was 
engaged  in  making  preparations  for  conveying  the 
horse  across  the  river,  his  illustrious  visitor  had  persuaded 
his  wife  to  accept  a  token  of  remembrance,  which  the 
family  are  proud  of  exhibiting  to  this  day. 

u  The  above  is  only  one  of  the  many  hazards  en 
countered  by  this  truly  great  patriot,  for  the  purpose  of 
transmitting  to  posterity  the  treasures  we  now  enjoy. 
Let  us  acknowledge  the  benefits  received,  by  our  en 
deavours  to  preserve  them  in  their  purity ;  and  by 
keeping  in  remembrance  the  Great  Source  whence  these 
blessings  flow,  may  we  be  enabled  to  render  our  names 
worthy  of  being  enrolled  with  that  of  the  father  of  his 
country." 

Here  we  have  again  the  same  peculiarity  of  audible 
prayer  that  appeared  in  the  preceding  instance.  It 
is  certainly  the  natural  way  of  expressing  ardent  and 
intense  feeling.* 

One  who  speaks  of  the  private  devotions  of  the  ce 
lebrated  Martin  Luther,  has  these  words :  "  I  cannot 
enough  describe  the  cheerfulness,  constancy,  faith,  and 
hope  of  this  man  in  these  trying  and  vexatious  times. 

*  This  practice,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  recommended  by  Chief 
Justice  Hale  in  one  of  the  treatises  before  quoted. 


168  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

He  constantly  feeds  these  good  affections  by  a  very 
diligent  study  of  the  word  of  God.  Then,  not  a  day 
passes  in  which  he  does  not  employ  in  prayer,  three 
at  least  of  his  very  best  hours.  Once  I  happened 
to  hear  him  at  prayer.  What  spirit,  and  what 
faith  there  is  in  his  expressions!  He  petitions  God 
with  as  much  reverence  as  if  he  was  actually  in 
the  divine  presence,  and  yet  with  as  firm  a  hope, 
and  confidence,  as  he  would  address  a  father  or  a 
friend.  '  I  know,'  said  he,  i  thou  art  our  Father  and 
our  God,  therefore,  I  am  sure  thou  wilt  bring  to  nought 
the  persecutors  of  thy  children.  For  shouldst  thou  fail 
to  do  this,  thine  own  cause,  being  connected  with  ours, 
would  be  endangered.  It  is  entirely  thine  own  concern  : 
we,  by  thy  providence  have  been  compelled  to  take  a 
part.  Thou,  therefore,  wilt  be  our  defence.' — Whilst 
I  was  listening  to  Luther,  praying  in  this  manner  at 
a  distance,  my  soul  seemed  on  fire  within  me,  to  hear 
the  man  so  address  God  like  a  friend,  and  yet  with  so 
much  gravity  and  reverence." 

In  the  following  pefectly  authentic  incident,  we  have  a 
striking  corroboration  of  those  already  recorded,  and  with 
them,  furnishing  proof  so  ample  of  the  point  before 
us,  that  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  look  for  additional 
testimony. 

During  his  residence  in  Philadelphia,  as  President  of 
the  United  States,  it  was  the  habit  of  Washington,  winter 
and  summer,  to  retire  to  his  study  at  a  certain  hour 
every  night.  He  usually  did  so  at  nine  o'clock — always 
having  a  lighted  candle  in  his  hand,  and  closing  the  door 
carefully  after  him.  A  youthful  member  of  his  house 
hold  whose  room  was  near  the  study,  being  just  across 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  169 

the  passage,  observing  this  constant  practice  of  the  Pre 
sident,  had  his  thoughts  excited  in  reference  to  the  cause 
of  so  uniform  a  custom.  Accordingly,  on  one  occasion, 
in  the  indulgence  of  a  juvenile  curiosity,  he  looked  into 
the  room,  sometime  after  the  President  had  gone  in ; 
and  to  his  surprise,  saw  him  upon  his  knees  at  a  small 
table,  with  a  candle  and  open  Bible  thereon. 

In  these  facts  we  have  all  the  evidence  we  could  ask 
of  his  uniform  attention  to  the  divinely  commanded  ob 
servance  of  private  prayer.  The  evidence  too,  embraces 
a  very  large  portion  of  his  life.  Our  limited  and  partial 
information  comprehends  a  period  of  forty  years — that  is, 
from  his  twenty-third  to  beyond  his  sixtieth  year.  It 
was  his  habit  whilst  engaged  in  the  French  and  Indian 
war;  it  was  so  also  during  the  revolutionary  war ;  and  it 
was  the  same  during  his  presidential  terms,  and  no  doubt 
it  was  so  to  the  end  of  his  life. 

How  rooted  and  fixed  must  that  gracious  principle 
have  been,  which  could  produce  such  unwavering  and 
persevering  devotion  to  these  duties, — a  devotion  not  to  be 
shaken  or  impaired  by  the  trying  scenes,  circumstances 
and  associations,  which  belonged  to  his  peculiar  avoca 
tions  and  earthly  allotment.  But  in  this  very  duty,  no 
doubt,  did  he  find  strength  for  every  trial.  Here  was  in 
a  great  measure  the  secret  of  his  greatness,  and  of  the 
wonderful  successes  which  ever  attended  him.  It  was 
t  lie ^blessing  of  God  on  him,  as  his  chosen  and  dutiful 
{servant,  that  so  fully  equipped  him  for  every  service,  and 
conducted  him  to  the  highest  usefulness  and  to  the  great 
est  honour.  It  was  in  reference  to  this  known  excellence 
in  Washington,  that  Dr.  Mason  of  New- York,  in  the  fu 
neral  eulogy  pronounced  on  the  occasion  of  his  death,  in 

15 


170  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

February,  1800,  uses  the  language : — "  That  invisible 
hand  which  girded  him  at  first,  continued  to  guard  and 
to  guide  him  through  the  successive  stages  of  the  revo 
lution.  Nor  did  he  account  it  a  weakness  to  bend  the 
knee  in  homage  to  its  supremacy,  and  prayer  for  its  di- 
rectiom  This  was  the  armour  of  Washington,  this  the 
salvation  of  his  country."* 

We  cannot  but  remember  with  sadness,  in  this  con 
nexion,  that  many  of  the  great  ones  of  our  world  appear 
to  think,  that  the  important  duty  before  us  is  altogether 
unsuited  to  persons  of  their  distinction  and  dignity.  But 
were  not  religion  and  greatness  united  in  the  person  of 
Washington  7  Did  religion  impair  his  greatness  or  cloud 
the  lustre  of  his  fame  ?  Count  it  not  a  weakness  in  him  ; 
the  "majesty  of  his  character"  forbids  the  thought. 
Rather  let  those  endowed  with  talents  and  invested  with 
office,  follow  his  example ;  and  find  in  God  a  strength 
more  than  human,  for  every  duty  and  every  trial. 

*  "The  example  of  Washington  teaches  a  poignant  reproof  to  those 
who  think,  or  act  as  if  they  thought,  that  religion  is  incompatible  with 
greatness.  The  majesty  of  his  character  forbids  a  suspicion  that  his 
reverence  for  the  worship  of  God,  and  his  solicitude  for  the  prevalence 
of  religious  principle,  v/cre  either  a  tribute  to  prejudice,  or  a  stratagem 
of  state.  But  every  possible  doubt  is  removed  by  the  fact,  that  it  was 
his  uniform  practice,  even  during  the  war,  to  retire  at  a  certain  hour, 
for  the  devotion  of  the  closet." 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  171 


CHAPTER   V. 

II  IS      RESPECT      FOR     THE      SABBATH. 

THE  value  of  the  Sabbath  has  ever  been  recognized 
by  wise  and  good  men.  Its  happy  influence  on  the  tem 
poral  as  well  as  spiritual  welfare  of  mankind  has  been 
seen  by  them.  They  have  appreciated  and  confessed 
its  salutary  tendency  in  favour  of  the  intellectual,  moral 
and  physical  advancement  of  communities,  duly  improv 
ing  its  sacred  advantages.  Once,  indeed,  a  vain  phi 
losophy,  in  its  wantonness,  attempted  in  another  land  to 
overthrow  this  great  moral  institute  of  society,  as  useless, 
if  not  injurious  to  the  world  ;  and  accordingly,  with  sa 
crilegious  hands,  was  it  expunged  from  the  calendar,  and 
superseded  by  the  substitution  of  one  day  in  ten,  as  a  day 
of  rest.  Of  the  result  of  that  experiment  the  world  is 
fully  apprized.  Short  indeed  was  the  reign  of  the  De 
cades.  Experience  soon  taught  the  impious  authors  of 
the  change,  that  human  wisdom  could  not  instruct  Je 
hovah,  or  human  skill  mend  his  work. 

The  importance  of  the  Sabbath  as  an  instrument  of 
moral  good  to  men,  is  thus  vindicated  by  a  distinguished 
writer.*  "  The  Sabbath  is  eminently  moral,  as  the  in 
dispensable  means  of  preserving  in  the  world  a  real  and 

*  Dr.  D wight. 


172  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

voluntary  obedience  of  all  the  other  commands  in  the 
Decalogue.  Wherever  the  Sabbath  is  not,  religion  dies 
of  course;  and  morality  of  every  kind,  except  so  far  as 
convenience  and  selfishness  may  keep  the  forms  of  it 
alive,  is  forgotten."  Again,  "  Wherever  the  Sabbath 
is  not,  there  is  no  worship,  no  religion.  Man  forgets 
God,  and  God  forsakes  man.  The  moral  world  becomes 
a  desert,  where  life  never  springs,  and  beauty  never  smiles. 
The  beams  of  the  sun  of  righteousness  never  dawn  upon 
the  miserable  w7aste ;  the  rains  of  heaven  never  descend. 
Putrid  with  sin,  and  shrunk  with  ignorance,  the  soul  of 
man  loses  its  rational  character,  a  nd  prostrates  itself  be 
fore  devils,  men,  beasts  and  reptiles,  insects,  stocks  and 
stones."  That  we  possess  this  divine  gift,  is  a  ground  of 
unbounded  gratitude  and  praise  to  God.  "The  Sab 
bath,  according  to  his  abundant  mercy,  returns  at  the 
close  of  every  week,  to  shine  upon  us  with  its  peaceful 
and  benevolent  beams.  At  the  close  of  every  week,  with 
a  still,  small  voice,  it  summons  us  to  the  house  of  God. 
Here  we  meet,  ind  find,  and  know,  and  serve  our  glo 
rious  and  blessed  Creator,  Redeemer  and  Sanctilier  ;  here 
he  makes  known  his  pleasure  and  our  duty ;  here  he 
promises  to  those  who  obey,  divine  and  eternal  rewards, 
and  threatens  those  who  disobey,  with  terrible  and  never 
ending  punishments.  Seen  every  week  in  these  awful 
and  amiable  characters,  God  cannot  be  unknown  nor  for 
gotten.  Accordingly,  throughout  the  ages  of  Christianity, 
his  presence  and  agency  are  understood  every  where,  and 
by  every  person  who  frequents  the  house  of  God.  The 
little  child  is  as  familiarly  acquainted  with  them  as  the 
man  of  gray  hairs ;  the  peasant  as  the  monarch.  All  in 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  173 

this  sense  know  Godj  from  the  least  to  the  greatest  ; 
and  there  is  no  occasion  for  a  man  to  say  to  his 
neig-bour,  Know  the  Lord" 

Speaking  of  the  Sabbath,  Dr.  Rush  says,  "  If  there 
were  no  hereafter,  individuals  and  societies  would  be 
great  gainers  by  attending  public  worship  every  Sunday. 
Rest  from  labour  in  the  house  of  God,  winds  up  the  ma 
chine  of  both  soul  and  body,  better  than  any  thing  else, 
and  thereby  invigorates  it  for  the  labours  and  duties  of 
the  ensuing  week." 

With  this  the  testimony  of  Chief  Justice  Hale  essen 
tially  agrees,  having  a  more  explicit  reference  to  the  di 
vine  blessing.  "  I  have  often  found,"  says  he,  "  by  a 
strict  and  diligent  observation,  that  a  due  observing  the 
duty  of  the  Lord's  day,  hath  ever  joined  with  it  a  bless 
ing  on  the  rest  of  my  time,  and  the  week  that  hath  been 
so  begun,  hath  been  blessed  and  prosperous  to  me ;  so 
that  I  could  from  the  loose  or  strict  observance  of  that 
day,  take  a  just  prospect  and  true  calculation  of  my  tem 
poral  successes  the  ensuing  week." 

The  wisdom  and  piety  of  Washington  combined  to 
render  him  a  strict  observer  of  the  Sabbath,  and  a  jea 
lous  advocate  of  its  authority  and  sanctity.  Of  this,  we 
have  a  strong  collateral  proof  in  his  conscientious  and 
habitual  attendance  on  the  services  of  the  Sanctuary  as 
performed  on  that  day.  But  there  are  other  evidences 
which  directly  show  that  his  principles  on  this  point 
were  fixed  and  settled.  The  following  occurrence  is 
well  authenticated,  and  serves  to  assure  us  of  his  unfeign 
ed  reverence  for  the  "  Holy  of  the  Lord," 


15* 


174  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS  AND 

"In  the  town*  of ,  in  Connecticut,  where  the 

roads  were  extremely  rough,  Washington  was  overtaken 
by  night,  on  Saturday,  not  being  able  to  reach  the  town, 
where  he  designed  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath.  Next  morning 
about  sun-rise,  his  coach  was  harnessed,  and  he  was  pro 
ceeding  onward  to  an  inn,  near  the  place  of  worship, 
which  he  proposed  to  attend. 

«  A  plain  man,  who  was  an  informing  officer,  came 
from  a  cottage,  and  inquired  of  the  coachman  whether 
there  were  any  urgent  reasons  for  his  travelling  on  the 
Lord's  day.  The  General,  instead  of  resenting  this  as 
impertinent  rudeness,  ordered  the  coachman  to  stop,  and 
with  great  civility  explained  the  circumstances  to  the  of 
ficer,  commending  him  for  his  fidelity,  and  assured  him 
that  nothing  was  farther  from  his  intention  than  to  treat 
with  disrespect  the  laws  and  usages  of  Connnecticut, 
relative  to  the  Sabbath,  which  met  with  his  most 
cordial  approbation.^ 

Though  he  had,  as  we  have  seen,  paid  a  marked  re 
spect  to  the  claims  of  the  Sabbath,  throughout  his  previ 
ous  life — there  seemed  to  be,  during  his  Presidency,  an 
increased  regard  and  deference  for  the  same.  Not  only 
was  he  most  punctual  in  his  attendance  on  the  public 
worship  of  God,  whenever  it  was  possible,  but  the  disci 
pline  of  his  house  was  strictly  conformed  to  the  obliga 
tions  and  proprieties  of  the  day.  It  was  an  established 
rule  of  his  mansion,  that  visitors  could  not  be  admitted  on 
Sundays.  It  is  understood  that  an  exception  to  the  rule 

*  Town  or  Township — a  section  of  country  six  miles  square;  into 
a  number  of  which  the  State,  is  divided.  General  Washington  was 
now  making  the  tour  of  New-England.^  in  the  autumn  of  1789. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  175 

was  made  in  the  case  of  one  individual,  viz.,  Mr.  Trum- 
bull,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  often 
spent  an  hour  on  Sunday  evenings  with  the  President ; 
and  so  entirely  was  the  privilege  confined  to  him,  that 
it  was  usual  with  the  house  servant  when  he  heard  the 
door-bell  ring,  on  those  evenings,  to  call  it,  the  "  speak 
er's  bell.'J 

After  spending  a  part  of  the  day  at  church,  and  oc 
casionally  an  hour  in  the  evening  with  Mr.  Trumbull, 
one  of  the  most  pious  men  of  his  age — the  rest  of  the 
time  preceding  the  hour  of  repose  was  occupied,  as 
mentioned  in  a  previous  chapter,  by  the  President's  read 
ing  to  Mrs.  Washington,  a  sermon  or  a  portion  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures. 


17G 


RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER    VI. 

HIS    RESPECT    FOR    THE    CLERGY. 

AT  every  period  of  his  life,  was  the  conduct  of  Wash 
ington  marked  by  a  special  respect  for  the  office  and  per 
son  of  the  ministers  of  religion.     He  honoured  the  call 
ing,  as  one  of  express  divine  appointment,  and  him  who 
filled  it,  as  the  living  representative  of  the  Divine  Author 
of  Christianity.     This  was  the  combined  result  of  his 
good  sense  and  pious  affections.     He  well  knew  that  re 
ligion  could  not  long  be  maintained  in  any  community, 
where  its  ministers  were  lightly  esteemed.     He  also  knew 
and  felt  that  no  higher  offence  could  be  offered  the  Al 
mighty,  than  to  contemn  and  refuse  his  duly  accredited 
ambassadors.     He  was  incapable  of  that  injustice  and 
pusillanimity,  which  can  insult  a  clergyman,  because  he 
is  known  to  be   comparatively  defenceless  —  as  of  that 
narrow-minded  and  illiberal  jealousy  which  looks  with 
suspicion  upon  the  ministers  of  Christ  for  no  other  assign 
able  reason,  than  the  errors  or  vices  which  may  have 
distinguished  some  of  their  order,  in  the  lapse  of  ages. 
He  was  well  able  to  discriminate  between  the  innocent 
and  the  guilty  ;  and  his  sense  of  justice,  as  well  as  bene- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  177 

volcnce  of  feeling,  prompted  him  to  a  scrupulous  regard 
for  so  manifest  a  duty. 

Through  every  stage  of  his  illustrious  career  the 
marks  of  this  wise  and  becoming  course  may  be  distinct 
ly  traced. 

While  embarked  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  as 
Commander  of  the  Virginia  forces,  he  earnestly  sought 
of  Governour  Dinwiddie  the  supply  of  a  chaplain  to  his 
regiment.  His  language  was: — 

"  The  want  of  a  chaplain,  I  humbly  conceive  reflects 
dishonour  on  the  regiment,  as  all  other  officers  are  al 
lowed.  The  gentlemen  of  the  corps  are  sensible  of  this, 
and  proposed  to  support  one  at  their  private  expense. 
But  I  think  it  would  have  a  more  graceful  appearance 
were  he  appointed  as  others  are/' 

To  this  the  Governour  replied  : — 

"  I  have  recommended  to  the  commissary  to  get  a 
chaplain,  but  he  cannot  prevail  upon  any  person  to  ac 
cept  of  it;  I  shall  again  press  it  to  him." 

In  answer  to  which  Washington  wrote  : — 

"  As  to  a  chaplain,  if  the  government  will  grant  a  sub 
sistence,  we  can  readily  get  a  person  of  merit  to  accept 
the  place,  without  giving  the  commissary  any  trouble  on 
that  point." 

With  the  letter,  of  which  this  was  a  part,  the  Gover 
nour  seems  not  to  have  been  well  pleased.  In  his  reply, 
among  other  things,  indicating  displeasure,  he  says  :— 

"  In  regard  to  a  chaplain,  you  should  know,  that  his 
qualification  and  the  bishop's  letter  of  license,  should  be 
produced  to  the  commissary  and  myself :  but  this  person 
is  also  nameless." 

Washington  answered : — 


178  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  When  I  spoke  of  a  chaplain,  it  was  in  answer  to 
yours.  I  had  no  person  in  view,  though  many  have 
offered  ;  and  I  only  said,  if  the  country  would  provide 
subsistence,  we  could  procure  a  chaplain,  without  think 
ing  there  was  offence  in  the  expression."* 

Notwithstanding  the  importunity  of  Washington,  no 
chaplain  was  provided,  at  least  by  the  government. 
His  solicitude  on  the  subject  continuing,  he  wrote  to  the 
President  of  the  Council,  about  two  years  after  the  above 
correspondence  with  the  Governour,  in  words  already 
quoted  under  another  head. 

"  The  last  Assembly,  in  their  Supply  Bill,  provided  for 
a  chaplain  to  our  regiment.  On  this  subject  I  had  often, 
without  any  success,  applied  to  Governour  Dinwiddie.  I 
now  flatter  myself  that  your  Honour  will  be  pleased  to 
appoint  a  sober,  serious  man  for  this  duty.7;  &c. 

Having  seen  the  nature  of  his  feelings,  in  regard  to 
the  Christian  ministry,  as  evinced  in  his  earlier  days,  we 
pass  to  similar  indications  as  attending  his  subsequent 
life. 

It  has  before  appeared,  that  after  his  marriage,  he  was 
a  constant  attendant  on  divine  worship  ;  and  that  the 
most  friendly  intercourse  subsisted  between  himself  and 
the  minister  of  the  parish — the  latter  being  often  a  guest 
at  Mount  Vernon.  The  annexed  portions  of  a  letter 
from  his  pen,  are  inserted  more  as  serving  to  fill  up  a 
chasm  in  our  record,  than  for  any  thing  very  decisive. 
The  letter  is  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cooper,  President 
of  King's  College,  New- York ;  its  date,  Mount  Vernon, 
December  15, 1773 : 

*  Governour  Dinwiddir ,  though  compelled  by  public  opinion,  to  placo 
Washington  in  honourable  station,  Avas  never  his  cordial  friend, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  179 

"The  favourable  account  which  you  were  pleased  to 
transmit  to  me  of  Mr.  Custis's  conduct  at  college,  gave 
me  very  great  satisfaction.  I  hoped  to  have  felt  an  increase 
of  it  by  his  continuance  at  that  place,  under  a  gentleman 
so  capable  of  instructing  him  in  every  branch  of  useful 

knowledge. 

##*###* 

c:  I  am  very  sorry  it  was  not  in  my  power  to  see  you 
while  in  these  parts.  I  thank  you  very  sincerely,  sir, 
for  your  polite  regard  to  Mr.  Custis,  during  his  abode  at 
college,  and  through  you,  beg  leave  to  offer  my  acknow 
ledgments  in  like  manner  to  the  professors.  With  very 
great  esteem  and  regard,  reverend  sir,  I  am,"  &c. 

In  his  instructions  to  Colonel  Arnold,  in  September, 
1775,  when  that  officer  was  about  to  march  against 
Quebec,  he  thus  expresses  himself : 

4<  As  the  contempt  of  the  religion  of  a  country,  by  ri 
diculing  any  of  its  ceremonies,  or  affronting  its  ministers 
or  votaries,  has  ever  been  deeply  resented,  you  are  to  be 
particularly  careful  to  restrain  every  officer  and  soldier 
from  such  imprudence  and  folly,  and  to  punish  every  in 
stance  of  it.  "6n  the  other  hand,  as  far  as  lies  in  your 
power,  you  are  to  protect  and  support  the  free  exercise  of 
the  religion  of  the  country,  and  the  undisturbed  enjoy 
ment  of  the  rights  of  conscience  in  religious  matters, 
with  your  utmost  influence  and  authority." 

As  showing  the  principle  on  which  the  above  admo 
nition  was  given — that  it  was  not  one  of  mere  worldly 
policy,  a  private  communication  to  the  same  officer,  on 
the  same  subject,  and  of  the  same  date,  is  here  given  : 

"  I  also  give  it  in  charge  to  you  to  avoid  all  disrespect 


180  BELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

of  the  religion  of  the  country,  and  its  ceremonies.  Pru 
dence,  policy,  and  a  true  Christian  spirit,  will  lead  us  to 
look  with  compassion  upon  their  errors  without  insulting 
them.  While  we  are  contending  for  our  own  liberty  we 
should  be  very  cautious  not  to  violate  the  rights  of  con 
science  in  others,  ever  considering  that  God  alone  is  the 
judge  of  the  hearts  of  men,  and  to  Him  only  in  this  case, 
they  are  answerable." 

The  following  letter  will  add  yet  other  evidences  of  the 
kind  and  respectful  feelings  which  he  ever  cherished  to 
wards  worthy  ministers  of  Christ.  The  communication 
is  addressed  to  the  President  of  Congress,  and  dated  Sep 
tember  30.  1775 : 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland,*  the  bearer  of  this,  having 
been  introduced  to  the  honourable  Congress,  can  need  no 
particular  recommendation  from  me.  But  as  he  now 
wishes  to  have  the  affairs  of  his  mission  and  public  em 
ploy  put  upon  some  suitable  footing,  I  cannot  but  inti 
mate  my  sense  of  the  importance  of  his  station,  and  the 
great  advantages  which  may  result  to  the  United  Colo 
nies,  from  his  situation  being  made  respectable. 

"All  accounts  agree,  that  much  of  the  favourable  dis 
position  shown  by  the  Indians,  may  be  ascribed  to  his 
labour  and  influence.  He  has  accompanied  a  chief  of 
the  Oneidas  to  this  camp,  which  I  have  endeavoured  to 
make  agreeable  to  him,  both  by  civility  and  some  small 
pi  esents.  Mr.  Kirkland  also  being  in  some  necessity  for 
money,  to  bear  his  travelling  charges  and  other  expenses, 

*  The  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland  was  missionary  to  the  Oneida.  Indians, 
mnong  whom  he  resided  many  years. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  181 

I  have  supplied  him  with  thirty-two  pounds  lawful 
money." 

In  writing  to  Governour  Trumbull  about  this  time, 
he  says : 

"  Having  heard  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  Rev 
erend  Mr.  Leonard,  from  your  colony,  will  have  it  in  his 
power  to  continue  here  as  chaplain,  I  cannot  but  express 
some  concern,  as,  I  think,  his  departure  will  be  a  loss. 
His  general  conduct  has  been  exemplary  and  praise 
worthy  ;  in  discharging  the  duties  of  his  office,  active 
and  industrious.  He  has  discovered  himself  to  be  a  warm 
and  steady  friend  to  his  country,  and  taken  great  pains 
to  animate  the  soldiers,  and  impress  them  with  a  know 
ledge  of  the  important  rights  we  are  contending  for. 
Upon  the  late  desertion  of  the  troops,  he  gave  a  sensible 
and  judicious  discqurse,  holding  forth  the  necessity  of 
courage  and  bravery,  and  at  the  same  time  of  obedience 
and  subordination  to  those  in  command. 

"  In  justice  to  the  merits  of  this  gentleman,  I  thought 
it  only  right  to  give  you  this  testimonial  of  my  opinion  of 
him,  and  to  mention  him  to  you  as  a  person  worthy  of 
your  esteem  and  that  of  the  public." 

In  a  letter  to  the  President  of  Congress  written  about 
the  same  time,  he  says  : 

"  I  have  long  had  it  on  my  mind  to  mention  to  Con 
gress,  that  frequent,  applications  have  been  made  to  me 
respecting  the  chaplains'  pay.  which  is  too  small  to  en 
courage  men  of  abilities.  Some  of  them,  who  have  left 
their  flocks,  are  obliged  to  pay  the  parson  acting  for  them 
more  than  they  receive.  I  need  not  point  out  the  great 
utility  of  gentlemen,  whose  lives  and  conversation  are 
unexceptionable,  being  employed  for  that  service  in  this 

16 


182  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

army.  There  are  two  ways  of  making  it  worth  the 
attention  of  such  ;  one  is,  an  advancement  of  their  pay ; 
the  other,  that  one  chaplain  be  appointed  to  two  regi 
ments.  This  last,  I  think,  may  be  done  without  incon 
venience.  I  beg  leave  to  recommend  this  matter  to 
Congress,  whose  sentiments  hereon  I  shall  impatiently 
expect." 

From  the  Orderly  Book,  July  9th,  1776.  "  The  hon 
ourable  Continental  Congress  having  been  pleased  to 
allow  a  chaplain  to  each  regiment,"  with  the  pay  of  thir 
ty-three  dollars  and  one-third  per  month,  the  colonels  or 
commanding  officers  of  each  regiment  are  directed  to 
procure  chaplains  accordingly,  persons  of  good  charac 
ters  and  exemplary  lives,  and  to  see  that  all  inferior 
officers  and  soldiers  pay  them  a  suitable  respect.  The 
blessing  and  protection  of  Heaven  are  at  all  times  neces 
sary,  but  especially  so  in  times  of  public  distress  and 
danger.  The  General  hopes  and  trusts,  that  every 
officer  and  man  will  endeavour  so  to  live  and  act  as  be 
comes  a  Christian  soldier,  defending  the  dearest  rights 
and  liberties  of  his  country." 

To  the  President  of  Congress  : — Trenton,  6th.  Dec. 
1776. 

«'  By  a  letter  of  the  14th  ultimo  from  a  Mr.  Caldwelt, 
a  clergyman,  and  a  stanch  friend  to  the  cause,  who  has 
fled  from  Elizabethtown  and  taken  refuge  in  the 
mountains,  about  ten  miles  from  hence,  I  am  informed, 
that  General  or  Lord  Howe  was  expected  in  that  town, 
to  publish  pardon  and  peace.  His  words,  '  I  have  not 
seen  his  proclamation,  but  can  only  say  he  gives  sixty 
days  of  grace,  and  pardons  from  the  Congress  down  to 
the  committee.  No  one  man  in  the  continent  is  to  be 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  183 


denied  his  mercy.'     In  the  language  of  this  good 
'  The  Lord  deliver  us  from  his  mercy  !  '  " 

From  Valley  Forge  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Israel 
Evans,  as  follows  : 

"  VALLEY  FORGE,  13th  March,  1778. 

"  Reverend  Sir, 

"  Your  favour  of  the  17th  ultimo,  enclosing  the 
Discourse  which  you  delivered  to  General  Poor's  bri 
gade  on  the  1  8th  of  December,  the  day  set  apart  for  a 
general  thanksgiving,  never  came  to  my  hands  till  yes 
terday.  I  have  read  this  performance  with  equal  atten 
tion  and  pleasure  ;  and  at  the  same  time  that  I  admire 
and  feel  the  force  of  the  reasoning,  which  you  have  dis 
played  through  the  whole,  it  is  more  especially  incumbent 
upon  me  to  thank  you  for  the  honourable  but  partial 
mention  you  have  made  of  my  character  ;  and  to  assure 
you  that  it  will  ever  be  the  first  wish  of  my  heart  to  aid 
your  pious  endeavours  to  inculcate  a  due  sense  of  the 
dependance  we  ought  to  place  in  that  all-wise  and 
powerful  Being,  on  whom  alone  our  success  depends  ; 
and  moreover  to  assure  you,  that,  with  respect  and 
regard,  I  am,  reverend  sir,"  &c.  &c. 

About  this  time,  the  late  Dr.  D  wight,  President  of 
Yale  College,  then  chaplain  to  General  Parson's  brigade, 
wrote  to  General  Washington  in  the  following  language  : 

"  The  application  which  is  the  subject  of  this  letter, 
is,  I  believe  not  common  in  these  American  regions,  yet 
it  will  not  I  hope  on  that  account,  be  deemed  impertinence 
or  presumption.  For  several  years  I  have  been  employed 
in  writing  a  poem  on  the  Conquest  of  Canaan  by  Joshua. 
This  poem,  upon  the  first  knowledge  of  your  Excellen 
cy's  character,  I  determined,  with  leave,  to  inscribe  to 


184  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

you.     If  it  will  not  be  too  great  a  favour,  it   will  cer 
tainly   be  remembered  with  gratitude." 

In  answer  Gen.  Washington  wrote,  with  the  usual 
address : — 

"  I  yesterday  received  your  favour  of  the  8th  instant, 
accompanied  by  so  warm  a  recommendation  from  Ge 
neral  Parsons,  that  I  cannot  but  form  favourable  presa 
ges  of  the  merit  of  the  work,  you  propose  to  honour  me 
writh  the  dedication  of.  Nothing  can  give  me  more  plea 
sure,  than  to  patronise  the  essays  of  genius,  and  a 
laudable  cultivation  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  which  had 
begun  to  flourish  in  so  eminent  a  degree,  before  tLe 
hand  of  oppression  was  stretched  over  our  devoted 
country  :  and  I  shall  esteem  myself  happy,  if  a  pcem, 
which  has  employed  the  labour  of  years,  will -derive  any 
advantage,  or  bear  more  weight  in  the  world,  by  making 
its. appearance  under  a  dedication  to  me.  I  am,'  &c. 

In  the  year  1779  Gen.  Washington  addressed  the 
following  respectful  letter  to  "  The  Ministers,  Elders,  and 
Deacons  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  at  Rariton. — 

4<CAMP,  MIDDLEBROOK,  2  June,  1779. 

"  Gentlemen, 

"  To  meet  the  approbation  of  good  men  cannot  but 
be  agreeable.  Your  affectionate  expressions  make  it 
still  more  so.  In  quartering  an  army,  and  in  supplying 
jts  wants,  distress  and  inconvenience  will  often  occur  to 
the  citizen.  I  feel  myself  happy  in  a  consciousness 
that  these  have  been  strictly  limited  by  necessity,  and 
in  your  opinion  of  my  attention  to  the  rights  of  my 
fellow-citizens.  I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  sincerely,  for 
the  sense  you  entertain  of  the  conduct  of  the  army,  and 


CHARACTER    OP    WASHINGTON.  185 

for  the  interest  you  take  in  my  welfare.  I  trust  the 
goodness  of  the  cause  and  the  exertions  of  the  people, 
under  Divine  protection,  will  give  us  that  honourable 
peace  for  which  we  are  contending.  Suffer  me,  gen 
tlemen,  to  wish  the  Reformed  Church  at  Rariton,  a  long 
continuance  of  its  present  minister  and  consistory,  and 
all  the  blessings  which  flow  from  piety  and  religion. 
I  am,"  &c. 

In  August  of  1789,  Dr.  Griffith,  minister  of  Farifax 
Parish,  Alexandria,  but  then  Bishop  elect  of  the  Pro 
testant  Episcopal  Church  in  Virginia,  died  in  Phila 
delphia.  On  the  occasion,  Dr.  William  Smith  preached 
a  funeral  sermon,  in  which  the  following  words 
occur :  — 

"In  the  service  of  his  country,  during  our  late  contest 
for  Liberty  and  Independence,  he  was  near  and  dear  to 
our  illustrious  Commander-in-chief — he  was  also  his 
neighbour,  and  honoured  and  cherished  by  him  as  a 
pastor  and  friend?' 

During  his  Presidency,  Washington,  as  we  have  seen, 
attended  public  worship  at  Christ  Church,  Philadelphia. 
Of  that  church,  Dr.  White,  was  then  the  Rector ;  as 
he  was  also  Bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Pennsylvania.  This 
aged  and  venerable  man,  often  recurs  with  grateful 
remembrance  to  the  kindly  intercourse  which  subsisted 
between  himself  and  his  illustrious  parishioner.  He 
was  a  frequent  and  honoured  guest  at  the  mansion  of 
the  President — always  sharing  his  marked  attentions, 
with  those  of  Mrs.  Washington. 


RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER   VII. 

HIS      ALMS-GI  V  I  N  G. 

KINDNESS  to  the  poor  is  made  an  essential  fruit  of 
Christian  principle,  by  the  authority  of  God's  word.  Nu 
merous  and  express  are  the  precepts  of  the  inspired  vo 
lume,  inculcating  this  duty  as  one  of  high  and  paramount 
obligation.  Without  making  it  a  substitute  for  real  piety, 
it  is  uniformly  declared  to  be  a  most,  excellent  pioduct  cf 
true  religion,  and  necessary  not  only  as  an  ornament  but 
as  a  proof  of  sincerity  in  those  professing  the  faith  of  the 
gospel. 

There  are  many,  indeed,  who  manage  to  evade  this 
sacred  obligation,  never  being  at  a  loss  for  excuses,  which 
if  not  sound,  are  at  least  plausible.  At  one  time  they 
think  the  poor  are  idle, — let  them  work  and  they  will  not 
want.  If  this  excuse  will  not  avail,  as  many  of  the 
poor  cannot  work  then  they  say.  "  We  cannot  afford  to 
give  "  and  it  may  be  that  they  will  at  last,  with  conve 
nient  facility,  take  shelter  under  the  authority  of  God's 
word,  for  that  end  quoting  the  apostle, — "  If  any  provide 
not  lor  his  o\vn,  and  specially  for  those  of  his  own  house, 
he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel." 
Washington  was  faithful  in  this  as  in  his  other  duties ; 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  187 

not  seeking  apologies  for  neglect,  but  rather  for  opportu 
nities  of  discharging  the  claims  of  so  excellent  a  virtue. 

The  following  account  rests  on  the  authority  of  Mr. 
Johnson,  former  Govemour  of  Maryland,  and  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolution.  The  language  of  his  informer  was 
in  substance  as  follows : 

"  Just  before  the  revolutionary  war,  I  took  a  trip  to  the 
Sweet  Springs  of  Virginia.  In  consequence  of  the  crowd, 
I  at  first  found  some  difficulty  in  getting  lodgings,  but  at 
length  was  fortunate  enough  to  get  a  mattrass  in  the  hut 
of  a  very  honest  baker,  who  often  visited  the  springs  for 
the  benefit  of  his  business.     Among  others  who  came 
daily  to  his  shop  for  bread,  there  were  sundry  poor,  sickly 
looking  individuals  who  came  in,  and  at  his  nod  would 
take  up  each  of  them  a  loaf,  and  go  out  without  paying, 
as  others  did.     This  led  to  an  inquiry  on  my  part,  and 
to  the  assurance  on  his,  that  he  had  been  authorized  by 
Colonel  Washington,  who  was  at  the  springs,  to  furnish 
these  people  with  bread,  he  engaging  to  pay  the  bill. 
This  bill,  he  added,  sometimes  amounted  to  eighty  dol 
lars,  and  those  who  received  the  charity  never  knew 
from  whence  it  came,  entire  secresy  being  enjoined  on 
him  by  the  benevolent  donor." 

An  English  soldier,  who  had  been  an  attendant  of 
General  Braddock  during  his  fatal  expedition,  and  at  his 
death,  after  that  event  entered  into  the  service  of  Wash 
ington,  and  \vas  attached  to  his  person  during  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  After  that  he  married,  and  a  home 
was  provided  for  him  at  Mount  Vernon.  "Being  too 
old  to  follow  his  beloved  commander  in  the  struggle  for 
independence,  he  was  left  at  home  to  enjoy  the  repose 
which  old  age  requires.  Children  loved  to  visit  the  old 


188  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

soldier,  and  listen  to  the  tales  of  the  Indian  war,  which 
he  delighted  in  telling.  When  Washington  was  passing 
round  his  farm,  he  often  stopped  to  gladden  the  heart  of 
of  the  gray-headed  veteran,  with  kind  words;  and  he 
lived  to  enjoy  the  comforts  which  had  been  provided  for 
him  until  he  was  eighty  years  of  age." 

In  the  year  1769  Washington  addressed  the  following 
kind  proposal  to  a  neighbour.  Mr.  W.  R. : 

"  Having  once  or  twice  of  late  heard  you  speak  highly 
of  the  New- Jersey  College,  as  if  you  had  a  desire  of 
sending  your  son  William  there,  (who,  I  am  told,  is  a 
youth  fond  of  study  and  instruction,  and  disposed  to  a 
studious  life,  in  following  which  he  may  not  only  pro 
mote  his  own  happiness,  but  the  future  welfare  of  others,) 
I  should  be  glad,  if  you  have  no  other  objection  to  it 
than  the  expense,  if  you  would  send  him  to  that  college 
as  soon  as  convenient,  and  depend  on  me  for  twenty -five 
pounds  a  year  for  his  support,  so  long  as  it  may  be  ne 
cessary  for  the  completion  of  his  education.  If  I  live  to 
see  the  accomplishment  of  this  term,  the  sum  here  sti 
pulated  shall  be  annually  paid ;  and  if  I  die  in  the  mean 
time,  this  letter  shall  be  obligatory  upon  my  heirs  or 
executors  to  do  it,  according  to  the  true  intent  and  mean 
ing  hereof. 

"  No  other  return  is  expected  or  wished  for  this  offer, 
than  that  you  will  accept  it  with  the  same  freedom  and 
good-will  with  which  it  is  made,  and  that  you  may  not 
even  consider  it  in  the  light  of  an  obligation  or  mention 
it  as  such  ;  for  be  assured,  that  from  me  it  will  never  be 
known." 

In  1774  he  wrote  to  Edward  Snickers,  from  Williams- 
— «  Enclosed  you  will  receive  Mr.  Hughes'  warrant 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON. 


189 


in  his  own  right  for  two  thousand  acres  of  land,  the  get 
ting  of  which  at  this  time,  he  must  look  upon  as  a 
very  great  favour,  as  the  Governour  has  dispensed  with 
two  positive  instructions  to  oblige  him. 

******* 

"  I  got  a  gentleman  of  my  acquaintance  in  Maryland 
to  mention  his  case  to  Governour  Eden,  who  promised  to 
have  the  matter  inquired  into,  and  do  what  he  could  for 
his  relief.  Why  it  has  not  heen  done  I  cannot  tell ;  but 
if  my  contributing  twenty  or  twenty-five  pounds  to  his 
relief  will  procure  his  liberty,  you  may  set  me  down  for 
that  sum,  and  I  will  pay  it  at  any  time  when  the  sub 
scription  is  full.  But  how  he  is  to  get  over  the  other 
matter  of  giving  Maryland  security  for  his  good  beha 
viour,  I  know  not." 

From  a  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Lund  Washington,  the 
faithful  manager  of  his  estates  during  the  revolutionary 
war.  we  make  the  following  extract.  The  date  of  the 
letter  is  «  Cambridge,  26th  November,  1775. 

kt  Let  the  hospitality  of  the  house,  with  respect  to  the 
poor,  be  kept  up.  Let  no  one  go  hungry  away.  If  any 
of  this  kind  of  people  should  be  in  want  of  corn,  supply 
their  necessities,  provided  it  does  not  encourage  them  in 
idleness  :  and  I  have  no  objection  to  your  giving  my  mo 
ney  in  charity,  to  the  amount  of  forty  or  fifty  pounds  a 
year,  when  you  think  it  well  bestowed.  What  I  mean 
by  having  no  objection  is,  that  it  is  my  desire  it  should 
be  done.  You  are  to  consider  that  neither  myself  nor 
wife  is  now  in  the  way  to  do  these  good  offices.  In  all 
other  respects,  J  recommend  it  to  you,  and  have  no  doubt 
of  your  observing  the  greatest  economy  and  frugality,  as  I 
suppose  you  know  that  I  do  not  get  a  farthing  for  my  ser- 


190  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

vices  here,  more  than  my  expenses  ;  it  becomes  neces 
sary,  therefore,  for  me  to  be  saving  at  home." 

"  One  of  his  '  managers,'  after  the  war,  was  a  Mr. 
Peake,  a  respectable  man,  who  once  said  in  reference  to 
the  subject  before  us  : — '  I  had  orders  from  Gen.  Wash 
ington  to  fill  a  corn-house  every  year,  for  the  sole  use  of 
the  poor  in  my  neighbourhood,  to  whom  it  was  a  most 
seasonable  and  precious  relief,  saving  numbers  of  poor 
women  and  children  from  extreme  want,  and  blessing 
them  with  plenty.'" 

He  also  provided  for  the  poor  around  him  in  other 
ways.  "He  owned  several  fishing  stations  on  the  Po 
tomac,  at  which  excellent  herring  were  caught,  and 
which,  when  salted,  proved  an  important  article  of  food 
to  the  poor.  For  their  accommodation  he  appropriated  a 
station — one  of  the  best  he  had,  and  furnished  it  with  all 
the  necessary  apparatus  for  taking  herring.  Here  the 
honest  poor  might  fish  free  of  expense,  at  any  time,  by 
only  an  application  to  the  overseer  ;  and  if  at  any  time 
unequal  to  the  labour  of  hauling  the  seine,  assistance 
was  rendered  by  the  order  of  the  General.  By  this  means, 
all  the  poor  round  about  had  the  means  of  procuring  a 
competent  stock  of  this  valuable  food  for  their  families." 

One  Reuben  Rouzy,  of  Virginia,  owed  him  about 
1000  pounds.  While  President  of  the  United  States, 
one  of  his  agents  brought  an  action  for  the  money  ;  judg 
ment  was  obtained,  and  execution  issued  against  the 
body  of  the  defendant,  who  was  taken  to  jail.  He  had 
a  considerable  landed  estate,  but  this  kind  of  property 
cannot  be  sold  in  Virginia  for  debts,  unless  at  the  discre 
tion  of  the  owner.  He  had  a  large  family,  and  for  the 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON".  191 

sake  of  his  children  preferred  lying  in  jail  to  selling  his 
land. 

"  A  friend  hinted  to  him  that  probably  General  Wash 
ington  did  not  know  any  thing  of  the  proceeding,  and 
that  it  might  be  well  to  send  him  a  petition,  with  a  state 
ment  of  the  circumstances.  He  did  so ;  and  the  very 
next  post  from  Philadelphia,  after  the  arrival  of  his  peti 
tion  in  that  city,  brought  an  order  for  his  immediate  re 
lease,  together  with  a  full  discharge,  and  a  severe  repri 
mand  to  the  agent  for  having  acted  in  such  a  manner. 

'•Poor  Rouzy  was  in  consequence  restored  to  his  fami 
ly,  who  never  laid  clown  their  heads  at  night  without 
presenting  their  prayers  to  heaven  for  their  '  beloved 
Washington.'  Providence  smiled  on  the  labours  of  the 
grateful  family,  and  in  a  few  years  Rouzy  enjoyed  the 
exquisite  pleasure  of  being  able  to  lay  the  thousand 
pounds,  with  the  interest,  at  the  feet  of  his  benefactor. — 
Washington  reminded  him  that  the  debt  was  discharged. 
Rouzy  replied,  the  debt  of  his  family  to  the  father  of 
their  country,  and  preserver  of  their  parent,  could  never 
be  discharged  ;  and  the  General,  to  avoid  the  importuni 
ty  of  his  grateful  debtor,  who  would  not  be  denied,  ac 
cepted  the  money — only,  however,  to  divide  it  among 
Rouzy's  children,  which  he  immediately  did." 

From  some  of  the  private  letters  before  referred  to  as 
in  the  hands  of  the  writer,  a  few  extracts  are  here  given 
confirming  the  incidents  already  detailed. 

He  writes  to  his  relative  acting  as  his  land  agent ;  the 
date  « Philadelphia,  February  22,  1795:— 

"  Your  letter  of  the  17th  ult.  came  duly  to  hand  ;  but 
the  pressure  of  business  in  which  I  am  always  involved 


I2  ftELlGIOtJS    OPINIONS    AN1) 

whilst  Congress  are  in  session,  has  prevented  my  acknow* 
ledging  the  receipt  of  it  at  an  earlier  date. 

******* 

<:  Mrs.  H.  should  endeavour  to  do  what  she  can  for 
herself ; — this  is  the  duty  of  every  one.  But  you  must 
not  let  her  suffer,  as  she  has  thrown  herself  upon  me  ; 
your  advances  on  this  account  will  be  allowed  always  at 
settlement ;  and  I  agree  readily  to  furnish  her  with  pro 
visions;  and  from  the  good  character  you  give  of  her 
daughter,  make  the  latter  a  present,  in  my  name,  of  a 
handsome  but  not  costly  gown,  and  other  things  which 
she  may  stand  mostly  in  need  of.  You  may  charge  me 
also  with  the  worth  of  your  tenement  on  which  she  is 
placed  ;  and  where  perhaps  it  is  better  she  should  be, 
than  at  a  greater  distance  from  your  attentions  to  her." 

In  a  subsequent  letter  there  is  another  reference  to  the 
same  case  ;  the  date  "Mount  Vernon,  June  26,  1796  : 

"  We  arrived  at  this  place  on  Monday  last,  where  it  is 
probable  I  shall  remain  till  the  middle  of  August  when 
public  business  will  require  m,y  attendance  in  Philadel 
phia,  until  towards  the  end  of  September  I  shall  then 
return  to  this  place  again  for  Mrs.  Washington,  with 
whom,  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  T  shall  make  my  last 
journey,  to  close  my  public  life  the  4th  cf  March  ;  after 
which  no  consideration  under  heaven,  that  1  can  foresee, 
shall  again  withdraw  me  from  the  walks  of  private  life. 
******* 

u  I  am  sorry  to  hear  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  H. ;  and 
will  very  cheerfully  receive  her  daughter  the  moment  I 
get  settled  at  this  place  ;  sooner  it  would  not  be  possible; 
because  this  house  \vill  be  as  it  has  been,  empty  from  the 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  193 

time  we  shall  quit  it  in  October,  until  my  final  establish 
ment  in  the  spring.  Such  necessaries  as  she  needs  in 
the  mean  time,  may,  however,  be  furnished  her  at  my 
expense,  and  if  it  is  inconvenient  for  you  to  retain  her 
in  your  own  house,  let  her  be  boarded  in  some  respect 
able  family,  where  her  morals  and  good  behaviour  will 
be  attended  to ;  at  my  expense  also.  Let  her  want  for 
nothing  that  is  decent  and  proper,  and  if  she  remains 
in  your  family,  I  wish  for  the  girl's  sake,  as  well  as  for 
the  use  she  may  be  of  to  your  aunt,  when  she  comes 

here,  that  Mrs. would  keep  her  industriously 

employed  always,  and  instructed  in  the  care  and  eco 
nomy  of  housekeeping. 

"  There  is  another  reason  against  her  coming  here 
until  I  am  permanently  fixed  ;  and  that  is,  that  my 
house,  I  expect,  will  be  crowded  with  company  all  the 
while  we  shall  be  at  it,  this  summer  ;  as  the  ministers 
of  France,  Great  Britain  and  Portugal,  in  succession, 
intend  to  be  here  — besides  other  strangers." 

Writing  to  the  same  from  "  Mount  Vernon,  llth  Feb. 
1798,"  he  says,  in  reference  to  the  same  person.  "  En 
closed  is  a  letter  for  S.  H.  left  open  for  your  perusal 
before  it  is  forwarded  to  her ;  with  the  contents  of  which, 
respecting  the  payment  of  ten  pounds,  I  request  you  to 
comply  ;  and  charge  the  same  to  the  account  of  your 
collection  of  my  rents."* 

*  The  individual  to  whom  these  private  letters  were  addressed, 
once  mentioned  to  the  writer  the  following  occurrence ;  which  is  here 
inserted  as  furnishing  a  pleasing  example  of  the  munificent  disposition 
of  Washington. — "Whilst  acting  as  his  agent,"  he  observed,  "I  ac- 

cidently  ascertained  that  he  owned  a  tract  of  land  in county,  of 

tvhich  he  had  given  me  no  account.     Some  short  time  after  the  discov- 

17 


194  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

In  his  Will,  the  follow  ing  bequest  is  found,  viz : — "  To 
the  trustees,  governours,  or  by  whatsoever  other  name 
they  may  be  designated,  of  the  academy  in  the  town  of 
Alexandria,  I  give  and  bequeath,  in  trust,  four  thousand 
dollars,  or  in  other  words,  twenty  of  the  shares  which  I 
hold  in  the  bank  of  Alexandria,  toward  the  support  of  a 
free-school,  established  at,  and  annexed  to,  the  said  aca 
demy,  for  the  purpose  of  educating  orphan  children,  or 
the  children  of  such  other  poor  and  indigent  persons  as 
are  unable  to  accomplish  it  with  their  own  means,  and 
who,  in  the  judgment  of  the  trustees  of  the  said  semi 
nary,  are  best  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  this  dona 
tion.  The  aforesaid  twenty  shares  I  give  and  bequeath 
in  perpetuity,  the  dividends  only  of  which  are  to  be 
drawn  for,  and  applied  by  the  said  trustees,  for  the  time 
being,  for  the  uses  above  mentioned,  the  stock  to  remain 
entire  and  untouched,  unless  indications  of  failure  of  the 

ery,  being  on  a  visit  at  Mount  Vernon,  with  rny  family,  I  mentioned 
the  fact  to  him,  at  which  he  seemed  to  be  at  a  loss,  expressing  his  sur 
prise  that  such  a  claim  should  have  escaped  him.  When  the  conver 
sation  had  ended,  I  remarked,  in  a  jocular  tone,  that  I  had  had  a 
somewhat  singular  dream  about  that  land,  a  few  nights  before.  He 
asked  me  what  is  was.  I  replied,  that  I  had  dreamed  he  had  made  me 
a  present  of  the  tract.  He  smiled,  and  observed  that  my  dreaming 
knack  was  a  very  convenient  one,  but  why  did  I  not  dream  at  once 
that  he  had  given  me  Mount  Vernon  ?  A  few  days  after  this,  in  set 
ting  out  for  my  residence,  the  General  accompanied  myself  and  wife  to 
the  carriage,  when  in  taking  leave  of  us,  he  put  into  my  hands  a 
small  slip  of  paper,  requesting  me  to  examine  it  at  my  leisure.  Think 
ing  it  probably  contained  memoranda  of  some  kind,  relating  to  my 
agency,  I  put  it  into  my  pocket,  and  did  not  look  at  it  for  some  time. 
When  I  did  so,  however,  I  was  surprised  to  find,  that  in  the  space  of 
six  written  lines,  he  had  made  me  a  conveyance  of  the  land  in— — 
county.  The  tract  contained  upwards  of  eleven  hundred  acres. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  195 

said  bank  should  be  so  apparent,  or  a  discontinuance 
thereof  should  render  a  removal  of  this  fund  necessary. 
In  either  of  these  cases,  the  amount  of  the  stock  here  de 
vised  is  to  be  vested  in  some  other  bank,  or  public  insti 
tution,  whereby  the  interest  may  with  regularity  and  cer 
tainty  be  drawn  and  applied  as  above.  And,  to  prevent 
misconception,  my  meaning  is,  and  is  hereby  declared  to 
be,  that  these  twenty  shares  are  in  lieu  of,  and  not  in  ad 
dition  to,  the  £1000  given  by  a  missive  letter  some  years 
ago,  in  consequence  whereof  an  annuity  of  £50  has 
since  been  paid  towards  the  support  of  this  institution." 
Many  other  instances  might  here  be  added,  of  the 
benevolence  of"  the  father  of  his  country," — the  insertion 
of  which,  would  especially  evince  one  peculiarity  mark 
ing  his  character,  which  was,  that  he  did  not,  in  every 
case,  postpone  them  till  death.  He  either  thought  it  a 
duty,  or  desired  to  share  the  luxury  of  doing  good  in  his 
life  time.  Besides  the  annuity  secured  by  him,  some 
years  before  his  death,  to  the  Alexandria  free  school,  he 
also  endowed  "  Liberty  Hall  Academy,  Rockbridge 
County,"  now  Washington  College,  with  the  sum  of 
$10,000— the  amount  of  stock  given  him  by  Virginia 
in  the  James  River  Company. 


196  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS   AND 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

HIS    FILIAL    LOVE. 

THE  obligations  of  filial  affection  have  their  founda 
tion  alike  in  the  dictates  of  nature  and  of  revelation. 
He  that  can  wantonly  violate  them,  in  doing  so,  must 
trample  on  some  of  the  plainest  demands  of  moral  pro 
priety,  and  set  at  naught  the  most  solemn  injunctions  of 
the  Divine  Word.  In  barbarous  lands,  indeed,  this  sacred 
duty  has  been  cruelly  disregarded,  and  thereby  practically 
denied.  There,  has  usage  often  authorized  the  child,  in 
raising  his  parricidal  arms  against  those  who  gave  him 
birth  ;  especially  when  age  and  infirmities  rendered  them 
unfit  for  the  business  of  life,  and  a  supposed  burden  to 
the  community.  But  a  far  different  standard  of  filial 
morality  has  been  established  in  Christian  lands,  and  of 
consequence  a  widely  different  practice  prevails.  Here, 
it  is  a  duty  of  paramount  obligation.  Indeed  so  obvious 
and  reasonable  a  one  is  it,  that  they  are  scarcely  thought 
deserving  of  praise  who  discharge  it,  seeing  its  glaring 
neglect,  would  stamp  the  character  with  a  mark  of  pecu 
liar  infamy.  And  yet,  however  monstrous  a  vice  filial 
ingratitude  may  be,  its  existence  is  not  so  rare,  as  to 
render  its  opposite  virtue  without  its  claims  to  commenda- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  197 

tion.  There  is  certainly  in  the  world  a  great  deal  of 
unkindness  in  children  towards  their  parents, — enough 
to  cause  much  unhappiness  in  the  latter,  if  not  to  tarnish 
the  characters  of  the  former.  They  have  a  claim,  then, 
to  the  tribute  of  our  approbation,  who,  resisting  every 
temptation  to  this  sin,  do  faithfully  and  affectionately 
exemplify  a  virtue  of  such  distinguished  excellence,  and 
important  social  effects  as  that  of  filial  love. 

li  Every  child,"  says  a  pious  writer,  "  is  bound  to  enter 
tain  the  most  respectful  and  reverential  thoughts  concern 
ing  his  parents,  and  concerning  the  parental  character. 
He  is  to  remember,  and  regard  his  parents,  as  standing 
in  the  most  venerable,  and  the  most  endearing,  of  all 
earthly  relations  to  him  ;  as  those  to  whom,  under  God, 
he  owes  his  being,  and  the  great  mass  of  his  blessings. 
He  is  to  regard  them  as  the  persons,  to  whose  kindness, 
care,  and  government,  he  has  been  committed  by  God 
himself.  He  is  to  consider  them  as  the  best  of  all  friends ; 
the  most  affiectionate,  the  most  faithful,  the  most  confi 
dential,  the  most  persevering,  the  most  watchful,  the  most 
unwearied. 

'•The  words  uttered  by  children,  which  respect  their 
parents  in  any  manner,  are  to  correspond  with  the 
thoughts,  which  have  been  here  recommended,  and,  if 
effectual  care  is  taken  to  make  the  thoughts  right,  the 
words  will  be  right  of  course. 

"  The  deportment  of  children,  when  their  parents  are 
present,  ought  to  exhibit  every  mark  of  respect.  The 
honour  which  God  commands  them  to  give,  ought  in 
the  literal  sense  to  be  here  invariably  rendered  without 
qualification,  without  reserve,  without  reluctance.  How 
ever  humble  the  station,  the  circumstances,  the  educar 
17* 


198  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

tion,  or  the  manners  of  parents  may  be ;  the  child  instead 
of  discovering  that  he  is  ashamed  of  them,  is  bound 
cheerfully  to  acknowledge  their  proper  superiority ;  to 
exhibit  towards  them  a  respectful  deference  ;  and  always 
to  prevent  even  a  remote  suspicion,  that  he  is  reluctant 
to  give  them  their  proper  place. 

"  When  children  have  left  their  father's  house  ;  their 
circumstances  become  materially  changed,  and  with  them 
in  several  respects,  their  duties — 

******** 

"  Still,  as  they  are  more  indebted  to  their  parents  than 
to  any  other  human  beings,  and  incomparably  more  in 
debted,  at  least  in  ordinary  cases ;  their  remaining  duties 
to  their  parents  are  numerous  and  important.  In  this 
situation,  more  than  any  other,  they  are  required  to 
contribute  to  the  maintenance  of  their  parents.  This  is 
made  by  our  Saviour  so  important  a  branch  of  the  duty 
under  consideration,  that  he  declares  the  'Pharisees,' 
who  by  a  fraudulent  comment  on  the  fifth  command 
ment,  had  released  men  from  the  obligation  in  question, 
to  have  'made  this  command  of  God  of  none  effect 
through  their  tradition.'  In  this  period,  also,  they  are 
bound  as  much  as  may  be,  to  nurse  and  soothe  their 
parents  in  pain  and  sickness ;  to  bear  patiently  and 
kindly  their  infirmities  of  body  and  mind  ;  to  alleviate 
their  distresses  ;  to  give  them  the  cheering  influence  of 
their  company  and  conversation  ;  and  in  these  and  vari 
ous  other  ways,  to  serene  and  brighten  the  evening,  but 
too  frequently  a  melancholy  one,  of  old  age." 

That  the  subject  of  our  present  work  was  an  example 
of  this,  as  of  many  other  virtues,  we  have  very  satisfac 
tory  ground  of  belief  and  assurance. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  199 

It  would  seem  that  from  his  earliest  youth  he  had  been 
an  obedient  and  dutiful  child.  This  was  the  testimony 
of  his  mother,  in  a  conversation  with  certain  distinguished 
officers  of  the  French  army,  who,  after  the  War,  paid 
her  a  visit  of  compliment  at  her  residence  in  Fredericks » 
burg,  Virginia.  In  answer  to  their  encomiums  on  her 
son,  she  simply  remarked,  that  "  George  had  always 
been  a  good  boy."  That  it  was  so,  let  the  subjoined 
narrative  attest. 

That  a  mother  should  love  such  a  son  as  George 
proved  himself  to  be,  and  that  a  son  should  love  such  a 
mother,  as  Mrs.  Washington  certainly  was,  is  not  at  all 
surprising.  From  his  earliest  days  she  had  exerted  her 
whole  influence  to  imbue  him  with  a  love  of  whatever  is 
lovely  and  of  good  report ;  and  her  exertions  had  not 
been  in  vain.  How  well  he  repaid  her  for  her  kind  care 
may  be  seen  in  the  following  story  : — 

"  When  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  became  strong 
ly  inclined  to  go  to  sea,  with  a  view  of  enlisting  in  the 
service  of  '  the  mother  country,'  at  that  time  engaged  in 
a  war  with  France  and  Spain. 

"  It  was  surprising  that  a  youth  so  young,  and  who 
had  been  abroad  so  little,  should  have  had  the  moral 
courage  to  quit  country  and  friends,  on  a  purpose  so  full 
of  danger.  But  so  it  was.  He  was  resolved  to  go.  Pre 
parations  had  been  made.  A  midshipman's  birth  had 
been  procured  for  him  on  board  a  British  man-of-war, 
then  lying  in  sight  of  his  mother's  house  ;  and  even  his 
trunk  was  on  board. 

"  When  the  precise  time  arrived  that  he  was  to  go,  he 
passed  into  the  sitting  room  of  his  mother,  to  take  his 
leave  of  her.  She  was  seated  and  in  tears. 


200  BELIGIOUS   OPINIONS   AND 

li  He  approached  her,  and  putting  his  arms  about  her 
neck,  affectionately  kissed  her.  He  was  about  to  bid 
her  '  farewell ; '  but  he  hesitated.  Her  affection  and 
affliction  unmanned  him.  He  was  young  and  ambi 
tious  ;  and  at  that  early  day  the  spirit  of  patriotism,  which 
so  nobly  characterized  him  in  after  life,  in  respect  to  his 
country,  was  stirring  within  him.  Yet  the  filial  feelings 
of  his  heart  were  stronger  than  any  other  ties  ;  and  here, 
nobly  sacrificing  his  pride  and  ambition,  he  relinquished 
his  purpose,  and  staid  to  comfort  her  who  gave  him  birth . 

"  It  was  a  noble  self-denial.  And  in  the  now  more 
than  forty  years,  that  the  writer  of  this  has  been  upon  the 
stage,  and  watched  the  course  of  human  events,  he  can 
bear  his  testimony  to  the  uniform  prosperity  of  such  as 
have  honoured  father  and  mother.  There  is  a  promise 
recorded  in  favour  of  filial  piety,  and  a  God,  who  never 
forgets  it,  and  never  fails  to  fulfil  it. 

"  But  my  story  is  unfinished.  The  boat  which  was 
conveying  officers  and  men  and  baggage  from  the  shore 
to  the  ship,  continued  to  ply.  At  length  she  returned  on 
shore  for  the  last  time.  A  signal  flag  was  hoisted  to 
denote  that  all  was  ready. 

"  George  was  standing  viewing  the  movements. 
Several  of  his  companions  now  entered  the  boat,  which 
presently  was  urged  towards  the  ship  by  several  lusty 
oarsmen. 

"  As  they  approached  her,  the  signal  gun  for  sailing 
was  fired.  The  flash  followed  by  the  report  was  noticed 
by  George,  soon  after  which  the  sails  rose  majestically 
one  after  another. 

"  George  could  no  longer  bear  the  sight  with  calmness, 
but  turned  away,  and  entered  the  room  where  his  mother 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  201 

sat.  She  observed  the  grief  which  sat  upon  his  counte 
nance  ;  upon  which  she  said  : — 

"  '  I  fear,  my  son,  that  you  have  repented  your  deter 
mination  to  stay  at  home  and  make  me  happy.' 

"  i  My  dear  mother,' lie  replied,  at  the  same  time  placing 
his  arms  about  her  neck,  and  giving  vent  to  his  feelings 
with  a  gush  of  tears,  '  I  did  strongly  wish  to  go,  but  I 
could  not  endure  being  on  board  the  ship,  and  know  that 
you  were  unhappy.' 

"  '  Well,  my  dear  boy,'  said  Mrs.  Washington,  return 
ing  his  embrace,  « I  deeply  feel  your  tenderness  towards 
your  mother,  and  trust  that  God  will  not  let  your  filial 
affection  go  unrewarded.'  "* 

About  eighteen  months  after  the  relinquishment  of 
his  maritime  project,  Washington,  as  has  been  before 
noticed,  entered  into  the  service  of  Lord  Fairfax  as  a 
surveyor.  During  the  three  years  in  which  he  was  thus 
engaged,  his  home  was  with  his  brother  at  Mount  Ver- 
non,  a  part  of  his  leisure  time  being  spent  with  his  mo 
ther  at  Fredericksburg;  or  rather  on  her  farm  directly 
opposite  to  that  town.  During  one  of  these  visits,  we 
find  him,  with  filial  solicitude,  guarding  the  interests  of 
his  widowed  parent,  in  the  following  communication 
made  to  his  brother  Lawrence,  then  in  Williamsburg, 
as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses.  The  date  of 

*In  this  story  we  have  the  facts  as  generally  believed  in  relation  to 
that  event  in  Washington's  life.  It  is  due,  however,  to  the  claims  of 
historical  accuracy,  to  say,  that  the  narrative  is  probably  incorrect  in 
some  of  its  details.  If  things  ever  reached  the  crisis  there  recorded,  and 
which  is  not  here  denied,  it  is  certain  that  the  scene  is  not  properly  laid 
at  Mrs.  Washington's  residence,  near  which  no  ship  of  war  ever  rode. 
Mount  Vernon  was  the  place  more  probably,  below  which,  in  the  Poto 
mac,  the  vessel  is  said  to  have  been. 


202  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the  letter,  of  which  we  give  an  extract,  is  May  5th, 
1749. 

"  As  my  mother's  term  of  years  is  out  at  the  place  at 
Bridge  Creek,  she  designs  to  settle  a  quarter  on  the 
piece  at  Deep  Run,  but  seems  backward  in  doing  it,  till 
the  right  is  made  good,  for  fear  of  accident.  It  is  reported 
here,  that  Mr.  Spotswood  intends  to  put  down  the  ferry 
at  the  wharf  where  he  now  lives,  and  that  Major  Fran 
cis  Taliaferro  intends  to  petition  the  Assembly  to  have  it 
kept  from  his  house,  over  against  my  mother's  quarter, 
and  through  the  very  heart  and  best  of  the  land.  Where 
as  he  can  have  no  other  view  in  it,  than  for  the  con 
venience  of  a  small  mill,  which  he  has  on  the  water-side, 
which  will  not  grind  above  three  months  in  the  twelve, 
and  on  account  of  the  great  inconvenience  and  prejudice 
it  will  be  to  us,  I  hope  it  will  not  be  granted.  Besides,  I 
do  not  see  where  he  can  possibly  have  a  landing-place 
on  his  side,  that  will  ever  be  sufficient  for  a  lawful  land 
ing,  by  reason  of  the  steepness  of  the  banks.  I  think 
we  suffer  enough  from  the  free  ferry,  without  being  trou 
bled  with  such  an  unjust  and  iniquitous  petition  as 
that ;  but  I  hope,  as  it  is  only  a  flying  report,  that  he 
will  consider  better  of  it,  and  drop  his  pretensions." 

The  next  reference  to  his  mother  on  record  is  found  in 
a  letter  to  Robert  Orme,  aid-de-camp  of  General  Brad^ 
dock  ;  dated,  Mount  Vernon,  April  2,  1755  : 

"  The  arrival  of  a  good  deal  of  company  (among 
whom  is  my  mother,  alarmed  at  the  report  of  my  inten 
tion  to  attend  your  fortunes,)  deprives  me  of  the  pleasure 
of  waiting  upon  you  to-day,  as  I  had  designed.  I  there 
fore  beg  that  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  make  my  com 
pliments  and  excuse  to  the  General,  who  I  hope  to  hear 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON. 


203 


is  greatly  recovered  from  his  indisposition,  and  recruited 
sufficiently  to  prosecute  his  journey  to  Annapolis." 

A  few  days  after  Braddock's  defeat,  and  his  own  won 
derful  preservation  in  that  battle — whilst  halting  at  Fort 
Cumberland,  to  recover  a  little  his  strength  which  had 
been  wasted  by  a  severe  sickness — he  wrote  to  his  mo 
ther  in  the  following  language.  His  object  seems  to 
have  been,  to  relieve  her  maternal  solicitude  on  his  ac* 
count. 

"  FORT  CUMBERLAND,  18th  July,  1755. 

"  Honoured  Madam, 

"  As  I  doubt  not  but  you  have  heard  of  our  defeat, 
and  perhaps  had  it  represented  in  a  worse  light,  if  possi 
ble,  than  it  deserves,  I  have  taken  this  earliest  oppor 
tunity  to  give  you  some  account  of  the  engagement  as  it 
happened,  within  ten  miles  of  the  French  Fort,  on  Wed 
nesday,  the  9th  instant. 

******* 

"  Captains  Orme  and  Morris,  two  of  the  aids-de-camp, 
were  wounded  early  in  the  engagement,  which  rendered 
the  duty  harder  upon  me,  as  I  was  the  only  person  then 
left  to  distribute  the  General's  orders,  which  I  was  scarce 
ly  able  to  do,  as  I  was  not  half  recovered  from  a  violent 
illness,  that  had  confined  me  to  my  bed  and  wagon  for 
above  ten  days.  1  am  still  in  a  weak  and  feeble  condi 
tion,  which  induces  me  to  halt  here  two  or  three  days 
in  the  hope  of  recovering  a  little  strength,  to  enable  me 
to  proceed  homewards ;  from  whence,  I  fear,  I  shall  not 
be  able  to  stir  till  towards  September ;  so  that  I  shall  not 
have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  till  then,  unless  it  be  in 
Fairfax.  Please  to  give  my  love  to  Mr.  Lewis  and  my 
sister ;  and  compliments  to  Mr.  Jackson,  and  all  other 


204  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

friends  that  inquire  after  me.     I  am,  honoured  madam, 
your  most  dutiful  son." 

In  a  few  weeks  subsequent  to  the  above,  he  wrote 

"  MOUNT  VERNON,  14th  August,  1755. 

"  Honoured  Madam," 

£:  If  it  is  in  my  power  to  avoid  going  to  the  Ohio 
again,  I  shall ;  but  if  the  command  is  pressed  upon  me, 
by  the  general  voice  of  the  country,  and  offered  upon 
such  terms  as  cannot  be  objected  against,  it  would  re 
flect  dishonour  on  me  to  refuse  it ;  and  that,  I  am  sure, 
must  or  ought  to  give  you  greater  uneasiness,  than  my 
going  in  an  honourable  command.  On  no  other  terms 
will  I  accept  of  it.  At  present  I  have  no  proposals  made 
to  me,  nor  have  I  any  advice  of  such  an  intention, 
except  from  private  hands." 

The  following  extract  from  a  Diary,  which  he  kept 
in  the  year  1760,  the  year  after  his  marriage,  will 
supply  a  gratifying  instance  of  his  filial  devotion. 

"Jan.  16th. — I  parted  with  Mr.  Gisbourne,  leaving 
Colonel  Champe's  before  the  family  was  stirring,  and 
about  ten  o'clock  reached  my  mother's,  where  I  break 
fasted,  and  then  went  to  Fredericksburg  with  my  brother 
Samuel,  whom  I  found  there.  About  noon  it  began 
snowing,  the  wind  at  north-west,  but  not  cold.  Was 
disappointed  of  seeing  my  sister  Lewis,  and  getting  a 
few  things,  which  I  wanted  out  of  the  stores.  Returned 
in  the  evening  to  my  mother's  ;  all  alone  with  her." 

From  this  period  he  was  in  the  habit  of  regularly 
visiting  his  mother  as  long  as  she  lived.  Mount  Vernon 
being  about  fifty  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  he  per 
formed  this  duty  once  or  twice  a  year,  except  when 


CHARACTER   OF   WASHINGTON.  205 

his  public  engagements  prevented.  In  the  Fredericks- 
burg  Newspaper  of  March  12th,  1789,  we  find  the 
subjoined  notice  of  one  of  his  visits. 

"On  Saturday  evening  last,  His  Excellency  General 
Washington  arrived  in  town  from  Mount  Vernon,  and 
early  on  Monday  morning  he  set  out  on  his  return. 
The  object  of  his  Excellency's  visit  was  probably  to  take 
leave  of  his  aged  mother ',  sister,  and  friends,  previous  to 
his  departure  for  the  new  Congress,  over  the  councils 
of  which,  the  united  voice  of  America  has  called  him  to 
preside." 

This  was  the  last  interview  which  Washington  ever 
had  with  his  mother.  She  died  on  the  25th  of  August 
following,  in  her  83d  year,  whilst  he  was  in  New- York. 
The  writer  has  before  him,  a  part  of  the  mourning  dress 
which  he  wore,  as  a  token  of  respectful  and  affectionate 
remembrance  of  her  who  had  given  him  birth.  On 
opening  her  Will  he  was  found  to  be  her  principal  heir 
and  chosen  Executor.  She  gave  him  all  her  landed 
property.  The  language  of  the  Will  is  as  follows  : — 

"  Imprimis,  I  give  to  my  son  General  George  Wash 
ington,  all  my  lands  on  Accokeek  Run,  in  the  County 
of  Stafford,"  &c. 

The  Will  concludes  thus  :— 

"Lastly,  I  nominate  and  appoint  my  son  General 
George  Washington,  Executor  of  this  my  Will;  and 
as  I  owe  few  or  no  debts,  I  direct  my  Executor  to  give 
no  Security,  nor  to  appraise  my  Estate,  but  desire  the 
same  may  be  allotted  to  my  Devisees  with  as  little 
trouble  and  delay  as  may  be — desiring  their  acceptance 
thereof,  as  all  the  token  I  now  have  to  give  them  of  my 
love  for  them." 

18 


306  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

The  following  letter,  written  by  General  Washingtoii 
to  his  only  sister,  Mrs.  Betty  Lewis,  of  Fredericksburg, 
Virginia,  will  attest  the  filial  sensibility  with  which  he 
regarded  the  death  of  his  mother,  and  the  pious  resigna 
tion  cherished  by  him  in  reference  to  the  event. 

«  NEW-YORK,  13th  September,  1789. 

"  My  Dear  Sister, 

"  Colonel  Ball's  letter  gave  me  the  first  account  of  my 
mother's  death.  Since  that,  I  have  received  Mrs.  Carters 
letter,  written  at  your  request,  and  previous  to  both,  I  was 
prepared  for  the  event,  by  some  advices  of  her  illness 
communicated  to  your  son  Robert. 

"Awful  and  affecting  as  the  death  of  a  parent  is,  there  is 
consolation  in  knowing  that  Heaven  has  spared  ours  to 
an  age  beyond  which  few  attain,  and  favoured  her  with 
the  full  enjoyment  of  her  mental  faculties,  and  as  much 
bodily  strength  as  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  fourscore. 
Under  these  considerations,  and  the  hope  that  she  is 
translated  to  a  happier  place,  it  is  the  duty  of  her  rela 
tives  to  yield  due  submission  to  the  decrees  of  the  Creator. 
When  1  was  last  at  Fredericksburg,  I  took  a  final  leave 
of  my  mother,  never  expecting  to  see  her  more. 

"  It  will  be  impossible  for  rne  at  this  distance,  and  cir 
cumstanced  as  I  am,  to  give  the  smallest  attention  to  the 
execution  of  her  will;  nor,  indeed,  is  much  required  if, 
as  she  directs,  no  security  should  be  given,  or  appraise 
ment  made  of  her  estate,  but  that  the  same  should  be  al 
lotted  to  the  devisees  with  as  little  trouble  and  delay  as 
may  be.  How  far  this  is  legal.  I  know  not.  Mr.  Mercer 
can,  and  I  have  no  doubt  would  readily  advise  you  if 
asked,  which  I  wish  you  to  do.  If  the  ceremony  of  in- 
ventoring,  appraising,  (fee.  can  be  dispensed  with,  all  the 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  207 

rest,  as  the  will  declares  that  few  or  no  debts  are  owing, 
can  be  done  with  very  little  trouble.  Every  person  in 
that  case,  may  immediately  receive  what  is  specifically 
devised. 

"  Were  it  not  that  the  specific  legacies*  which  are  left 
to  me  by  the  will,  are  meant,  and  ought  to  be  considered 
and  received  as  mementos  of  parental  affection,  in  the 
last  solemn  act  of  life,  I  should  not  be  desirous  of  receiv 
ing  or  removing  them  ;  but  in  this  point  of  view,  I  set  a 
value  on  them  much  beyond  their  intrinsic  worth. 

"  Give  my  love  to  Mrs.  Carter,  and  thank  her  for 
the  letter  she  wrote  to  me.  I  would  have  done  this 
myself,  had  I  more  time  for  private  correspondence.  Mrs. 
Washington  joins  me  in  best  wishes  for  her,  yourself,  and 
all  other  friends ;  and  I  am,  with  the  most  sincere  re 
gard,  your  affectionate  brother." 

May  we  not  commend  to  the  youth  of  our  country,  this 
example  of  persevering  and  respectful  filial  love.  It  com 
menced  with  his  childhood,  and  distinguished  him  till  its 
venerated  object  left  the  world,  nor  failed  to  move  him 
with  tenderest  recollections  in  contemplating  that  event. 
And  surely  the  wonted  blessing  attended  it.  The  divine 
promise  was  richly  fulfilled  in  his  history.  He  "  lived 
long  upon  the  earth,  and  it  was  well  with  him  all  the 
days  of  his  life/'  Filial  piety  is  not  only  lovely,  but  it  is 
ever  advantageous  ;  the  approbation  of  the  wise  and 
good,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  crowning  it  with  pros 
perity  here,  and  bright  rewards  hereafter,  its  source  be 
ing  conscientious  and  religious. 

*  The  legacies  alluded  to,  consisted  of  a  few  plain  articles  of  house 
hold  furniture. 


208  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 


CHAPTER   IX. 

HIS      CONJUGAL      LOVE. 

THE  importance  of  this  affection  to  the  happiness  of 
families,  communities,  and  nations,  has  long  since  been 
established  by  the  experience  of  mankind.  On  its  decided 
existence  in  those  united  in  the  bonds  of  holy  wedlock, 
the  benefits  of  that  divine  institution  mainly  depend. 
Marriage  is  the  fruitful  source  of  the  most  of  that  felicity 
which  may  be  attained  in  this  world.  It  is  the  foundation  of 
all  the  grateful  connexions  of  life,  and  instrumental  of  the 
purest  delights  to  those,  who  derive  from  it  their  unbought 
claims,  to  the  joys  of  reciprocal  love  and  tenderness.  It 
is  the  prolific  root,  which  teeming  with  the  blossoms  and 
fruits  of  domestic  and  social  sympathy,  diffuses  so  much 
sweet  odour,  >o  much  real  delight  through  the  family  and 
neighbourhood  circles.  Who  can  tell  how  much  suffer 
ing  has  been  avert  •  ',  how  much  sorrow  has  been  allayed, 
how  much  evil  mitigat  ><J,  or  how  much  comfort  has  been 
imparted,  by  the  mutual  love  and  encouragement  of  hus 
band  and  wife,  parents  and  children,  brothers  and  sis 
ters,  with  the  auxiliary  kindness  added,  of  kindred,  united 
in  acknowledged,  though  feebler  bonds. 

Of  this  sacred  relationship,  love  is  the  hallowed  cement, 
and  bountiful  nurse  of  ail  its  numerous  progeny  of 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  209 

blessings — of  its  solicitudes,  cares  and  labours  for  the 
young — as  of  its  sympathies  and  charities  diffused  over 
the  wider  surface  of  connexions,  relatives  and  friends. 

Of  this  important  virtue  the  father  of  his  country  was 
a  distinguished  example.  For  more  than  forty  years  he 
owned  the  connubial  tie,  and  during  that  protracted  term, 
he  discharged  the  duties  of  the  nuptial  vow,  with  unim 
peachable  fidelity.  He  was  himself  denied  the  blessing 
of  issue.  But  this  privation  afforded  an  additional  op 
portunity  of  displaying  his  conjugal  tenderness,  in  the 
uniform  kindness  and  care  with  which  he  protected,  fos 
tered,  and  educated  the  offspring  of  his  wife,  the  fruit  of 
her  former  marriage. 

We  pass  to  the  proofs  of  this  virtue  as  furnished  by 
the  varied  and  frank  productions  of  his  own  pen. 

In  a  letter  to  Richard  Washington,  London,  written 
some  months  after  his  marriage,  he  says, — 

"  I  am  now,  I  believe,  fixed  at  this  seat  with  an 
agreeable  partner  for  life  ;  and  I  hope  to  find  more  happi 
ness  in  retirement,  than  I  ever  experienced  amidst  the 
the  wide  and  bustling  world.  I  thank  you  heartily  for 
your  good  wishes.  Why  will  you  not  give  me  an  oc 
casion  of  congratulating  you  in  the  same  manner  ? 
None  would  do  so  more  cordially  than,  dear  sir,  your 
most  obedient  and  obliged  servant.'1 

In  the  year  1771,  young  Custis,  the  son  of  Mrs.  Wash 
ington,  proposed  to  make  the  tour  of  Europe,  with  his 
tutor,  the  reverend  Mr  Boucher,  of  Annapolis,  Maryland. 
In  relation  to  that  object,  Gen.  Washington  wrote  to  Mr. 
Boucher,  in  a  strain  of  sensibility,  both  in  reference  to  the 
youth  and  his  mother,  that  must  be  gratifying  to  the 
reader : 

18* 


210  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

"  Upon  the  whole,"  he  says  in  conclusion,  "  it  is  impos 
sible  for  me  at  this  time  to  give  a  more  decisive  answer, 
however  strongly  inclined  I  may  be  to  put  you  upon  a 
certainty  in  this  affair,  than  I  have  done  ;  and  I  should 
think  myself  wanting  in  candour,  if  I  concealed  any 
circumstance  from  you,  which  leads  me  to  fear,  that  there 
is  a  possibility,  if  not  a  probability,  that  the  whole  design 
may  be  totally  defeated.  Before  I  ever  thought  myself  at 
liberty  to  encourage  this  plan,  I  judged  it  highly  reason 
able  and  necessary  that  his  mother  should  be  consulted. 
I  laid  your  first  letter  and  proposals  before  her,  and  desired 
that  she  would  reflect  well  before  she  resolved,  as  an  un 
steady  behaviour  might  be  a  disadvantage  to  you.  Her 
determination  was,  that  if  it  appeared  to  be  his  inclination 
to  undertake  this  tour,  and  it  should  be  judged  for  his  be 
nefit,  she  would  not  oppose  it,  whatever  pangs  it  might 
give  her  to  part  with  him.  To  this  declaration  she  still 
adheres,  but  in  so  faint  a  manner,  that  I  think,  with  her 
fears  and  his  indifference,  it  would  soon  be  declared  he 
has  no  inclination  to  go.  I  do  not  say  that  this  will  be 
the  case.  I  cannot  speak  positively,  but  as  this  is  the 
result  of  my  own  reflections  upon  the  matter,  I  thought 
it  but  fair  to  communicate  it  to  you. 

"  Several  causes  I  believe,  have  concurred  to  make 
her  view  his  departure,  as  the  time  approaches,  with 
more  reluctance  than  she  expected.  The  unhappy  situa 
tion  of  her  daughter  has  in  some  degree  fixed  her  eyes 
upon  him  as  her  only  hope.  To  what  I  have  already 
said,  I  can  only  add,  that  my  warmest  wishes  are,  to  see 
him  prosecute  a  plan  at  a  proper  period,  which  I  may 
be  sure  will  redound  to  his  advantage,  and  that  nothing 
shall  be  wanting  on  my  part  to  aid  and  assist  him." 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  211 

In  his  care  for  this  young  man,  he  wrote  to  the  Pre 
sident  of  King's  college,  New- York,  under  whose  super 
intendence  he  had  been  placed,  for  the  purpose  of  com 
pleting  his  education.  His  letter  is  dated  "  Mount  Ver- 
non  15.  December  1773. 

"  The  favourable  account  which  you  were  pleased  to 
transmit  to  me,  of  Mr.  Custis's  conduct  at  college,  gave 
me  very  great  satisfaction  I  hoped  to  have  felt  an  increase 
of  it  by  his  continuance  at  that  place,  under  a  gentle 
man  so  capable  of  instructing  him  in  every  branch  of 
useful  knowledge.  But  this  hope  is  at  an  end  ;  and  it 
has  been  against  my  wishes,  that  he  should  quit  college, 
in  order  that  he  may  enter  soon  into  a  new  scene  of 
life,  which  I  think  he  would  be  much  fitter  for  some 
years  hence,  than  now.*  But  having  his  own  inclinations, 
the  desires  of  his  mother,and  the  acquiescence  of  almost 
all  his  relatives  to  encounter,  I  did  not  care,  as  he  is 
the  last  of  the  family,  to  push  my  opposition  too  far.  and 
I  have  therefore  submitted  to  a  kind  of  necessity." 

We  give  the  following  letter  entire,  as  affording  a  most 
satisfactory  testimony  to  the  tender  and  considerate 
regard  of  the  writer  for  his  beloved  spouse.  It  was 
written  to  her  on  occasion  of  his  accepting  the  com 
mand  of  the  American  army,  at  the  hands  of  the  second 
Continental  Congress,  of  which  he  was  a  member. 

"  PHILADELPHIA,  18th  June,  1775, 

"  My  Dearest, 

"  I  am  now  set  down  to  write  to  you  on  a  subject 
which  fills  me  with  inexpressible  concern ;  and  this  con 
cern  is  greatly  aggravated  and  increased,  when  I  reflect 

*  His  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Benedict  Calvert,  which 
took  place  on  the  3d  of  February,  1774. 


212  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

upon  the  uneasiness  I  know  it  will  give  you.  It  has 
been  determined  in  Congress,  that  the  whole  army 
raised  for  the  defence  of  the  American  cause,  shall 
be  put  under  my  care,  and  it  is  necessary  for  me 
to  proceed  immediately  to  Boston  to  take  upon  me  the 
command  of  it. 

<;  You  may  believe  me,  my  dear  Patsy,  when  I  assure 
you,  in  the  most  solemn  manner  that,  so  far  from  seek 
ing  this  appointment,  I  have  used  every  endeavour 
in  my  power  to  avoid  it,  not  only  from  my  unwilling 
ness  to  part  with  you  and  the  family,  but  from  a  con 
sciousness  of  its  being  a  trust  too  great  for  my  capacity  ; 
and  that  I  should  enjoy  more  real  happiness  in  one 
month  with  you  at  home,  than  I  have  the  most  distant 
prospect  of  finding  abroad,  if  my  stay  were  to  be  seven 
times  seven  years.  But  as  it  has  been  a  kind  of  destiny 
that  has  thrown  me  upon  this  service,  I  shall  hope  that 
my  undertaking  it  is  designed  to  answer  some  good  pur 
pose.  You  might,  and  I  suppose  did  perceive,  from  the 
tenor  of  my  letters,  that  I  was  apprehensive  I  could  not 
avoid  this  appointment,  as  I  did  not  pretend  to  intimate 
when  I  should  return.  That  was  the  case.  It  was 
utterly  out  of  my  power  to  refuse  this  appointment, 
without  exposing  my  character  to  such  censures,  as 
would  have  reflected  dishonour  upon  myself,  and  given 
pain  to  my  friends.  This,  I  am  sure,  could  not,  and 
ought  not,  to  be  pleasing  to  you,  and  must  have  lessen 
ed  me  considerably  in  my  own  esteem.  I  shall  rely, 
therefore,  confidently  on  that  Providence,  which  has 
heretofore  preserved  and  been  bountiful  to  me  not  doubt 
ing  but  that  1  shall  return  safe  to  you  in  the  fall.  I 
shall  feel  no  pain  from  the  toil  or  the  danger  of  the 


CHARACTER  OF    WASHINGTON.  213 

campaign ;  my  unhappiness  will  flow  from  the  uneasi 
ness  I  know  you  will  feel  from  being  left  alone.  I 
therefore  beg  that  you  will  summon  your  whole  forti 
tude,  and  pass  your  time  as  agreeably  as  possible. 
Nothing  will  give  me  so  much  sincere  satisfaction  as 
to  hear  this,  and  to  hear  it  from  your  own  pen.  My 
earnest  and  ardent  desire  is,  that  you  would  pursue 
any  plan  that  is  likely  to  produce  content,  and  a  tolerable 
degree  of  tranquillity  ;  as  it  must  add  greatly  to  my 
uneasy  feelings  to  hear,  that  you  are  dissatisfied  or 
complaining  at  what  I  really  could  not  avoid. 

"  As  life  is  always  uncertain,  and  common  prudence 
dictates  to  every  man  the  necessity  of  settling  his  tern 
poral  concerns,  whilst  it  is  in  his  power,  and  whilst  the 
mind  is  calm  and  undisturbed,  I  have,  since  I  came  to 
this  place  (for  1  had  not  time  to  do  it  before  I  left  home,) 
got  Colonel  Pendleton  to  draft  a  Will  for  me  by  the  di 
rections  I  gave  him,  which  Will  I  now  enclose.  The 
provision  made  for  you  in  case  of  my  death,  will,  I 
hope,  be  agreeable. 

"  I  shall  add  nothing  more,  as  I  have  several  letters  to 
write,  but  to  desire  that  you  will  remember  me  to  your 
friends,  and  to  assure  you  that  I  am,  with  the 
most  unfeigned  regard,  my  dear  Patsy,  your  affection 
ate,' '  &c. 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother,  written  two  days  after  the 
above,  he  says: 

"  I  shall  hope  that  my  friends  will  visit  and  endeavour 
to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  my  wife,  as  much  as  they  can? 
for  my  departure  will,  I  know,  be  a  cutting  stroke  upon 
her  ;  and  on  this  account  alone  I  have  many  disagree- 


214  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

able  sensations.  I  hope  that  you  and  my  sister, 
although  the  distance  is  great,  will  find  so  much 
time  this  summer,  as  to  spend  a  little  of  it  at  Mount 
Vernon." 

In  October  he  wrote  again  to  the  same  brother — John 
A.  Washington. 

"  I  arn  obliged  to  you  for  your  advice  to  my  wife,  and 
for  your  intention  of  visiting  her.  Seeing  no  great  pros 
pect  of  returning  to  my  family  and  friends  this  winter, 
1  have  sent  an  invitation  to  Mrs.  Washington  to  come 
to  me,  although  I  fear  the  season  is  too  far  advanced  to 
admit  this  with  any  tolerable  degree  of  convenience, 
especially  if  she  should,  when  my  letters  get  hoir^ 
be  in  New  Kent,  as  I  believe  the  case  will  be.  I  have  laid 
before  her  a  statement  of  the  difficulties,  however,  which 
must  attend  the  journey,  and  left  it  to  her  own  choice." 

Some  weeks  after  the  above,  he  writes  to  Joseph  Reed, 
from  the  Camp  at  Cambridge : — 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  frequent  mention  of  Mrs. 
Washington.  I  expect  that  she  will  be  in  Philadelphia 
about  the  time  this  letter  may  reach  you,  on  her  way 
hither.  As  she  and  her  conductor,  who  I  suppose  will 
be  Mr.  Custis,  her  son,  are  perfect  strangers  to  the  road, 
the  stages,  and  the  proper  place  to  cross  Hudson's  Riven 
by  all  means  avoiding  New- York,  I  shall  be  much 
obliged  by  your  particular  instructions,  and  advice  to  her. 
I  imagine,  as  the  roads  are  bad  and  the  weather  cold, 
her  stages  must  be  short,  especially  as  I  presume  her 
horses  will  be  fatigued  ;  as  when  they  get  to  Philadelphia, 
they  will  have  performed  a  journey  of  at  least  four  hun 
dred  and  fifty  miles,  my  express  having  found  her 


CHAftACfER   OF   WASHINGTON. 

among  her  friends  near  Williamsburg,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  below  my  own  house."  * 

He  writes  to  the  same  December  15th,  '75. 

"  Since  my  last,  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving 
your  favours  of  the  28th  ultimo,  and  the  2d  instant.  I 
must  again  express  my  gratitude  for  the  attention  shown 
to  Mrs.  Washington  at  Philadelphia.  It  cannot  but  be 
pleasing,  although  it  did,  in  some  measure,  impede  the 
progress  of  her  journey." 

To  the  same,  he  writes,  December  25th,  1775. 

"  I  am  so  much  indebted  for  the  civilities  shown  to 
Mrs.  Washington  on  her  journey  hither,  that  I  hardly 
know  how  to  acknowledge  them.  Some  of  the  enclosed 
(all  of  which  I  beg  the  favour  of  you  to  put  into  the 
post-office)  are  directed  to  that  end,  and  I  shall  be  ob 
liged  to  you  for  presenting  my  thanks  to  the  command- 

"  Mrs.  Washington  arrived  in  camp  on  the  llth  of  December, 
accompanied  by  her  son,  Mr.  Custis,  and  his  wife. — It  seems  that 
some  persons  thought  her  in  danger  at  Mount  Vernon,  which  stands 
on  the  bank  of  the  Potomac  River,  and  is  accessible  to  armed 
ships  of  the  largest  size.  Lund  Washington  had  written  to  the 
General. — "Many  people  have  made  a  stir  about  Mrs.  W.  con 
tinuing  at  Mount  Vernon,  but  I  cannot  think  there  is  any  danger. 
The  thought  I  believe  originated  in  Alexandria ;  from  thence  it  got 
to  Loudoun,  and  I  am  told  the  people  ofLoudoun  talk  of  sending  a 
guard  to  conduct  her  up  to  Berkley,  with  some  of  their  principal  men, 
to  persuade  her  to  leave  this  place  and  accept  their  offer.  Mr. 
John  A.  Washington  wrote,  pressing  her  to  leave  Mount  Vernon. 
She  does  not  believe  herself  in  danger.  Lord  Dunmore  will  hardly 
himself  venture  up  this  river;  nor  do  I  believe  he  will  send  on  that 
errand.  Surely,  her  old  acquaintance,  the  attorney,  who,  with  his 
family,  is  on  board  his  ship,  would  prevent  his  doing  an  act  of  that 
kind.  You  may  depend  I  will  be  watchful,  and  upon  the  least 
aUrm  persuade  her  to  remove." 


216  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

ing  officer  of  the  two  battalions  of  Philadelphia,  for  the 
honour  done  to  her  and  me,  as  also  to  any  others  equally 
entitled.  I  very  sincerely  offer  you  the  compliments  of  the 
season,  and  wish  you  and  Mrs.  Reed,  and  your  fire-side,  the 
happy  return  of  many  of  them,  being,  dear  sir,  yours,"  &c. 

To  John  Augustine  Washington,  he  writes,  under 
date  of  New- York,  April  29,  1776. 

uMrs.  Washington  is  still  here,  and  talks  of  taking 
the  small-pox  ;  but  I  doubt  her  resolution.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Custis  will  set  out  in  a  few  days  for  Maryland." 

In  May  he  wrote  to  the  same  : 

"  Mrs.  Washington  is  now  under  inoculation  in 
this  city  ;  and  will,  I  expect,  have  the  small-pox  favour 
ably.  This  is  the  thirteenth  day,  and  she  has  very  few 
pustules.  She  would  have  written  to  my  sister,  but 
thought  it  prudent  not  to  do  so,  notwithstanding  there 
could  be  but  little  danger  of  conveying  the  infection  in 
this  manner.  She  joins  me  in  love  to  you  and  all  the 
little  ones.  I  am  with  every  sentiment  of  regard,  dear 
sir,  your  most  affectionate  brother." 

Addressing  the  Marquis  De  La  Fayette,  then  in 
Paris,  30th  September,  1779,  he  says  : 

"  Mrs.  Washington,  who  set  out  for  Virginia  when 
we  took  the  field  in  June,  has  often  in  her  letters  to  me 
inquired  if  I  had  heard  from  you,  and  will  be  much 
pleased  at  hearing  that  you  are  well  and  happy.  In  her 
name,  as  she  is  not  here,  I  thank  you  for  your  polite  at 
tention  to  her,  and  shall  speak  her  sense  of  the  honour 
conferred  on  her  by  the  Marchioness." 

The  following  is  found  in  his  last  Will  and  Testa 
ment  : — 

«Item.       To    my    dearly   beloved    wife,    Martha 


CHARACTER    Of    WASHINGTON. 

Washington,  I  give  and  bequeath  the  use,  profit,  and  be 
nefit  of  my  whole  estate,  real  and  personal,  for  the  term 
of  her  natural  life,  except  such  parts  thereof  as  are  spe 
cially  disposed  of  hereafter.  My  improved  lot  in  the 
town  of  Alexandria,  situated  on  Pitt  and  Cameron  streets, 
I  give  to  her  and  her  heirs  forever ;  as  I  also  do  my 
household  and  kitchen  furniture  of  every  sort  and  kind, 
•with  the  liquors  and  groceries  which  may  be  on  hand  at 
the  time  of  my  decease,  to  be  used  and  disposed  of  as  she 
may  think  proper. 

******* 

"  And  whereas,  it  has  always  been  my  intention, 
since  my  expectation  of  having  issue  has  ceased,  to  con 
sider  the  grand-children  of  my  wife  in  the  same  light 
as  I  do  my  own  relations,  and  to  act  a  friendly  part  by 
them,  more  especially  by  the  two  who  we  have  raised 
from  their  earliest  infancy  :  Wherefore,  I  give  and  be 
queath,  "  <fec. 

To  these  strong  proofs  of  the  warm  and  devoted  at 
tachment  of  Washington  to  his  excellent  wife,  we  only 
add  the  following  touching  incident : 

On  the  sad  night  of  his  dissolution,  when  attend 
ants  were  about  to  prepare  his  body  for  the  grave,  a  mi 
niature  likeness  of  Mrs.  Washington  was  found  on  his 
breast,  where  it  had  hung,  suspended  by  a  ribbon  from 
his  neck,  for  more  than  forty  years. 


19 


218  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER  X. 

HIS  RESPECT   FOR  SUPERIORS. 

THERE  are  few  dispositions  of  the  human  heart 
of  more  worth,  than  that  which  inclines  us  to  pay  a 
due  respect  to  properly  constituted  authority,  and  render 
a  willing  obedience  to  its  legitimate  commands.  With 
out  this  important  virtue  in  cheerful  exercise,  it  is  mani 
fest  that  the  ends  of  society  cannot  be  attained.  All  that 
is  precious  in  the  social  state,  would  soon  fall  a  sacrifice 
to  the  opposite  spirit.  Where  there  was  once  peace, 
quiet,  comfort  and  prosperity,  "  wild  uproar  now  lording 
it  wide,"  would  convert  the  grateful  scene  into  one  of 
universal  confusion,  distress  and  misery. 

That  the  tendency  of  our  age  is  to  an  abuse  of  liberty, 
and  the  sacrifice  of  its  blessings  at  the  shrine  of  an  ex 
aggerated  equality  among  men,  is  obvious  to  the  most 
superficial  observation.  There  is  abroad  a  morbid  dread 
of  power,  which  scarcely  admits  of  the  existence  of  any 
kind  or  degree  of  government.  Rulers  are  regarded  in 
the  light  of  mere  automata,  elevated,  not  to  govern,  but 
to  be  governed  ;  so  that  every  thing  like  free  and  intel 
ligent  action  on  their  part,  is  considered  an  offence 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  219 

against  the  majesty  of  those,  who  have  delegated  the 
authority  held  by  them. 

That  the  jealousy  of  power,  duly  chastened  and  dis 
creetly  guarded,  is  fit  and  salutary  in  all  communities, 
does  not  admit  of  a  doubt.  The  histories  of  most  go 
vernments  sufficiently  demonstrate  this.  But  it  is  equally 
clear  and  certain,  that  the  restraints  thrown  around  the 
chosen  ministers  of  law,  by  the  ultra  spirit  of  the  times, 
are  destructive  of  the  real  ends  of  government ;  and 
must  eventually  bring  about  anarchy  and  its  horrid  train 
of  attendant  evils,  or  make  way  for  the  iron  rule  of  a 
bold  and  triumphant  despotism. 

Government  is  a  divine  ordinance.  "  The  powers 
that  be  are  ordained  of  God."  The  mode  and  means 
of  their  creation  is  very  much  left  by  the  Almighty  to 
the  will  of  nations.  But  when  exalted  to  the  seat  of 
authority, — reverence,  obedience,  and  support  become 
high  and  religious  duties. 

The  example  of  him  who  seems  to  have  been  right, 
in  almost  every  thing  he  did,  will  be  found  here  also  of 
great  value  to  his  countrymen,  especially  to  youth. 
From  early  life  did  he  strikingly  display  this  virtue.  Its 
foundation,  indeed,  as  is  generally  the  case,  was  laid  be 
neath  the  paternal  roof.  He  was  there  early  taught  to 
obey.  And  from  the  beginning  he  did  obey.  His  duti 
ful  conduct  towards  his  widowed  mother,  was  uniformly 
and  consistently  exhibited.  He  thus  evinced  his  high 
sense  of  filial  obligation,  and  the  duty  of  submission  to 
those  by  nature  authorized  to  rule.  This  spirit  animated 
him  ail  his  days,  and  attended  him  in  all  the  relations 
of  social  life.  With  the  unequivocal  instances  thereof, 
his  history  abounds, 


220  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

In  a  letter  to  Governour  Dinwiddie,  dated  Alexan 
dria,  24th  November  1756,  he  says : 

,  "At  this  place,  on  my  way  to  Williamsburg,  I  receiv 
ed  your  Honours  letter  of  the  16th  instant.  I  shall  take 
care  to  pay  the  strictest  obedience  to  your  orders,  and  the 
opinion,  so  far  as  I  can. 

********* 

"  I  am  very  sorry  any  expression  in  my  letter  should 
be  deemed  unmannerly.  I  never  intended  insults  to 
any ;  on  the  contrary,  I  have  endeavoured  to  demean 
myself  with  the  proper  respect  due  to  superiors.  In 
the  instance  mentioned,  I  can  truly  say,  so  far  from  in 
tending  a  charge  or  affront  of  any  kind,  it  was  distant 

from  my  thoughts. 

******* 

"  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  my  best  endeavours  of  late 
meet  with  unfavourable  constructions.  What  it  proceed? 
from,  I  know  not.  If  my  open  and  disinterested  way  of 
writing  and  speaking,  has  the  air  of  pertness  and  freedom, 
I  shall  correct  my  error  by  acting  reservedly,  and  shall  take 
care  to  obey  my  orders  without  offering  any  thing  more.'7 
A  few  weeks  after  the  above,  he  wrote  to  the  same  : 
u  I  hope,  after  receiving  a  peremptory  order,  the  mention 
ing  of  these  things  will  not  appear  presuming  or  odd.  I 
do  not  hesitate  a  moment  to  obey.  On  the  contrary  I  shall 
comply  as  soon  as  I  can.  I  mean  nothing  more  than  to 
point  out  the  consequences  that  must  necessarily  attend 
this  step,  as  I  apprehend  you  were  not  thoroughly  ap 
prised  of  our  situation.  Some,  sir,  who  are  inclined  to 
put  an  unfavourable  construction  on  this  ingenuous  re 
cital,  may  say  that  I  am  loath  to  leave  Winchester.  I 
declare,  upon  my  honour,  I  am  not,  but  had  rather  a 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  221 

thousand  times  be  at  Fort  Cumberland,  if  I  could  do  the 
duty  there.  I  am  tired  of  this  place,  and  the  life  I  lead 
here ;  and  if,  after  what  I  have  said,  you  should  think  it 
necessary  for  me  to  reside  at  that  fort,  I  shall  acquiesce 
with  pleasure  and  cheerfulness,  and  be  freed  from  much 
anxiety,  plague,  and  business. 

******** 

"  The  wampum  and  tomahawks  I  have  purchased. 
The  want  of  the  other  articles  may  occasion  some  mur 
muring-,  and  there  are  very  few  things  suitable  at  Fort 
Cumberland.  The  Indians  expect  to  be  sent  back  upon 
horses.  Do  you  approve  that  they  should  ?  I  will  not 
take  upon  me  to  buy  horses  without  your  orders." 

He  soon  wrote  again  to  the  same :  "  I  am  a  little  at  a 
loss  to  understand  the  meaning  of  your  orders,  and  the 
opinion  of  the  Council,  when  I  am  directed  to  evacuate 
all  the  stockade  forts,  and  at  the  same  time  to  march  only 
one  hundred  men  to  Fort  Cumberland,  and  to  continue 
the  like  number  here  to  garrison  Fort  Loudoun.  If  the 
stockade  forts  are  all  abandoned,  there  will  be  more  men 
than  are  required  for  these  two  purposes ;  and  the  com 
munication  between  them  of  near  eighty  miles,  will  be 
left  without  a  settler,  unguarded  and  exposed.  But  I 
mean  nothing  more  by  this  intimation,  than  to  ascertain 
your  intentions,  to  which  I  would  willingly  pay  strict 
obedience." 

The  following  note,  by  the  Editor  of  Washington's 
writings,  adds  illustration  to  our  subject : 

"  On  the  12th  Jan.  Col.  Washington  wrote  to  the  Go- 

vernour,  respecting  the  trial  of  several  subaltern  officers  and 

soldiers  for  a  mutiny.  1 1  thought  it  needless,'  said  he,  <  to 

send  the  proceedings  of  the  court-martial,  or  to  ask  war- 

19* 


RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


rants  for  execution,  as  we  have  no  law  to  inflict  punish 
ment,  even  of  the  smallest  kind.  I  shall  keep  those 
criminals  in  irons,  and  if  possible,  under  apprehensions 
of  death,  until  some  favourable  opportunity  may  counte 
nance  a  reprieve.'  The  Governour  replied,  '  that  as  the 
men  were  enlisted  and  paid  with  money  raised  for  the 
King's  service,  he  conceived  they  were  subject  to  the  ar 
ticles  of  war,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  King's  regular 
forces.'  But  so  tenacious  was  Colonel  Washington  in 
upholding  the  rights  of  the  Assembly  and  the  laws  of  the 
Colony,  that  he  did  not  accede  to  this  opinion.  He  con 
sidered  the  Assembly  as  the  only  proper  authority  to  pre 
scribe  rules  of  discipline  for  an  army,  raised  and  maintain 
ed  at  their  expense  ;  and  he  believed  himself  amenable 
to  the  civil  laws  for  any  acts  of  severity  not  countenanced 
by  that  code.  This  was  conformable  to  the  scrupulous 
exactness  with  which,  during  all  his  future  military  ca 
reer,  and  frequently  when  the  interest  of  the  public 
service  offered  the  strongest  temptations  to  the  contrary, 
he  yielded  implicit  obedience  to  the  civil  power.'  " 

With  one  decisive  indication  of  this  spirit,  as  occurring 
during  the  revolutionary  war,  we  close  this  chapter.  — 
Writing  to  Joseph  Reed  under  date  of  Cambridge,  3d 
March,  1776,  he  says  : 

"  This,  you  will  observe,  was  contrary  to  my  expecta 
tion  and  plan  ;  yet,  as  I  thought  it  a  matter  of  the  last 
importance  to  secure  the  communication  of  the  North 
River,  I  did  not  deem  it  expedient  to  countermand  the 
raising  of  the  Connecticut  regiments  on  account  of  the 
pay.  If  I  have  done  wrong,  those  members  of  Congress, 
who  think  the  matter  ought  to  have  been  left  to  them, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  223 

must  consider  my  proceedings  as  an  error  of  judgment, 
and  that  a  measure  is  not  always  to  be  judged  by  the 
even  t . 

"  It  is  moreover  worthy  of  consideration,  that  in  cases 
of  extreme  necessity  like  the  present,  nothing  but  deci 
sion  can  ensure  success  ;  and  certain  I  am,  that  Clinton 
had  something  more  in  view  by  peeping  into  New- York, 
than  to  gratify  his  curiosity,  or  make  a  friendly  visit  to 
his  friend  Mr.  Tyron.  However,  I  am  not  fond  of 
stretching  my  powers  ;  and  if  the  Congress  will  say, 
'  Thus  far  and  no  farther  you  shall  go/  I  will  promise 
not  to  offend  whilst  I  continue  in  the  service." 

Thus,  by  obedience,  was  he  trained  for  command. 
Wisely  respecting  the  claims  of  authority  in  others,  sel 
dom  has  the  same  been  more  respected,  than  in  his  own 
person.  "  It  is  good  for  a  man  that  he  bear  the  yoke  in 
his  youth/'  Having  learned  in  so  good  a  school,  he  ex 
ercised  power,  when  entrusted  to  him,  with  consummate 
skill  and  wisdom.  Acquainted  with  the  rights  of  supe 
riors,  he  also  understood  those  which  belonged  to  infe 
riors.  Thus  he  seldom  erred  in  governing — never 
requiring  too  much  submission,  or  receiving  less  than 
was  due.  With  so  much  judgment  did  he  always  hit 
the  golden  mean,  that  never  was  there  less  complaint  of 
the  personal  bearing  of  a  Ruler,  or  a  more  cheerful 
obedience  rendered  to  one  in  authority.  He  verified 
throughout  the  sacred  truth,  that,  "  whosoever  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted." 


224  HELIG10US    OPIN  ONS    AND 


CHAPTER    XI. 

HIS      SELF-DENIAL. 

THERE  is  nothing  which  human  nature  regards  with 
more  aversion,  than  the  duty  here  presented  for  conside 
ration.  Our  earliest  and  strongest  impulses  ever  incline 
us  to  unrestrained  indulgence.  This  inordinate  ten 
dency  of  the  appetites  and  affections,  is  the  fruit  of  a  dis 
eased  and  perverted  nature  in  man,  and  distinguishes 
him  wherever  he  is  found  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Vic 
tory  over  this  morbid  propensity  is  a  rare  achievement ; 
indeed  we  may  say.  it  is  never  really  effected,  without  the 
special  aid  of  Heaven.  By  the  force  of  motives  drawn 
from  reason  and  interest,  men  may  at  times  have 
accomplished  something  in  this  way.  Assured  that  no 
thing  great  or  good  was  ever  compassed  without  it,  they 
have  persuaded  themselves  to  encounter  a  present  incon 
venience,  in  the  hope  of  gaining  thereby  an  eventual 
recompense.  In  such  cases,  however,  you  may  not  look 
for  perseverance  or  consistency  of  practice.  It  is  only 
when  prompted  by  religious  principle,  that  the  duty  will 
be  embodied  in  the  habits,  and  find  therein  an  unaffected 
and  uniform  exemplification. 

In  the  history  of  Washington  we  have  a  striking 
example  of  this  spirit.  Without  a  particle  of  the  stoic 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  225 

about  him  ;  yea,  with  a  very  considerable  taste  for  social 
delights  and  domestic  enjoyments  ; — he  did,  from  a  very 
early  period  of  life,  evince  a  constant  willingness  to  en 
counter  perils  and  endure  privations  in  any  cause,  deem 
ed  by  him  of  sufficient  importance  to  merit  the  sacrifice. 
To  surrender  personal  ease  and  indulgence,  at  the  call  of 
duty,  seems  to  have  been  a  fixed  principle  of  his  life. 

In  his  first  public  undertaking,  which  was  to  visit  and 
deliver  a  letter  from  Governour  Dinwiddie,  to  the  com. 
mandant  of  the  French  forces  on  the  Ohio,  we  have 
an  early  development  of  this  strong  trait  of  character- 
He  was  then  a  very  young  man — being  little  more  than 
twenty -one  years  of  age,  and  in  possession  of  an  ample 
fortune.  Yet,  at  the  voice  of  his  country,  did  he  cheer 
fully  resign  the  ease  and  comforts  of  home,  and  encounter 
a  journey,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  and  through  a  savage 
wilderness,  the  performance  of  which  cost  him  every 
privation,  exposed  him  to  many  dangers,  and  subjected 
him  to  incredible  fatigue. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  journal  of  his  tour  shall  sup 
ply  the  proofs  of  his  self-sacrificing  spirit.  His  journey 
commenced  about  the  1st  of  November,  1753. 

"I  was  commissioned  and  appointed  by  the  Honour 
able  Robert  Dinwiddie,  Esquire,  Governour  of  Virginia,  to 
visit  and  deliver  a  letter  to  the  commandant  of  the  French 
forces  on  the  Ohio,  and  set  out  on  the  intended  journey 
on  the  same  day  ;  the  next  I  arrived  at  Fredericksburg, 
and  engaged  Mr.  Jacob  Vanbraam  to  be  my  French  in 
terpreter,  and  proceeded  with  him  to  Alexandria,  where 
we  provided  necessaries.  From  thence  we  went  to 
Winchester,  and  got  baggage,  horses,  &c.,  and  from 


226  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

thence  we  pursued  the  new  road  to  Will's  Creek,  where 
we  arrived  on  the  14th  of  November. 

"  Here  I  engaged  Mr.  Gist  to  pilot  us  out,  and  also 

hired  four  others  as  servitors, and  in  company 

with  those  persons  left  the  inhabitants  next  day. 

"  The  excessive  rains  and  vast  quantity  of  snow 
which  had  fallen,  prevented  our  reaching  Mr.  Fra- 
zier's, until  Thursday  22d. 

"  December  7th. — At  twelve  o'clock,  we  set  out  for  the 
fort,  and  were  prevented  arriving  there  until  the  llth.  by 
excessive  rains,  snows,  and  bad  travelling  through  many 
mires  and  swamps ;  these  we  were  obliged  to  pass,  to 
avoid  crossing  the  creek,  which  was  impassable,  either 
by  fording  or  rafting,  the  water  was  so  high  and  rapid. 

"  14th. — As  the  snow  increased  very  fast,  and  our 
horses  daily  became  weaker,  I  sent  them  off  unloaded, 
under  the  care  of  Barnaby  Currin  and  two  others,  to 
make  all  convenient  despatch  to  Yenango,  and  there  to 
wait  our  arrival,  if  there  was  a  prospect  of  the  river's 
freezing  ;  if  not.  then  to  continue  down  to  Shannopin's 
Town,  at  the  fork  of  the  Ohio,  and  there  to  wait  until  we 
came  to  cross  the  Alleghany  ;  intending  myself  to  go 
down  by  water,  as  I  had  the  offer  of  a  canoe  or  two. 

"  As  I  found  many  plots  concerted  to  retard  the  In 
dians'  business,  and  prevent  their  returning  with  me. 
I  endeavoured  all  that  lay  in  my  power  to  frustrate  their 
schemes,  and  hurried  them  on  to  execute  their  intended 

design I  cannot  say  that  ever  in  my  life  I 

suffered  so  much  anxiety,  as  I  did  in  this  affair.  I  saw 
that  every  stratagem,  which  the  most  fruitful  brain  could 
invent,  was  practised  (by  the  French)  to  win  the  Half- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  227 

King  to  their  interest ;  and  that  leaving  him  there,  was 
giving  them  the  opportunity  aimed  at,  &c. 

"  16th. — We  had  a  tedious  and  very  fatiguing  passage 
down  the  creek.  Several  times  we  had  liked  to  have 
heen  staved  against  rocks  :  and  many  times  were  obliged, 
all  hands,  to  get  out  and  remain  in  the  water  half  an 
hour  or  more,  getting  over  the  shoals.  At  one  place  the 
ice  had  lodged,  and  made  it  impassable  by  water  ;  we 
were,  therefore,  obliged  to  carry  our  canoe  across  the 
neck  of  land,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  over.  We  did  not 
reach  Venango  until  the  22d,  where  we  met  with  our 

horses. 

******** 

"  23d. — Our  horses  were  now  so  weak  and  feeble, 
and  the  baggage  so  heavy,  (as  we  were  obliged  to  provide 
all  the  necessaries  which  the  journey  would  require,) 
that  we  doubted  much  their  performing  it.  Therefore, 
myself  and  others,  except  the  drivers,  who  were  obliged 
to  ride,  gave  up  our  horses  for  packs,  to  assist  with  the 
baggage.  I  put  myself  in  an  Indian  walking-dress, 
and  continued  with  them  three  days,  until  I  found 
there  was  no  probability  of  their  getting  home  in  any 
reasonable  time.  The  horses  became  less  able  to  travel 
every  day  ;  the  cold  increased  very  fast ;  and  the  roads 
were  becoming  much  worse  by  a  deep  snow,  continual 
ly  freezing ;  therefore,  as  I  was  uneasy  to  get  back,  to 
make  report  of  my  proceedings  to  his  Honour  the  Go- 
vernour,  I  determined  to  prosecute  my  journey,  the 
nearest  way  through  the  woods,  on  foot. 

"  Accordingly,  I  left  Mr.  Vanbraam  in  charge  of  our 
baggage,  with  money  and  directions  to  provide  necessaries 


RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS    AND 

from  place  to  place  for  themselves  and  horses,  and  to 
make  the  most  convenient  despatch  in  travelling. 

"  I  took  my  necessary  papers,  pulled  off  my  clothes, 
and  tied  myself  up  in  a  watch-coat.  Then,  with  gun 
in  hand,  and  pack  on  my  back,  in  which  were  my  pa 
pers  and  provisions,  I  set  out  with  Mr.  Gist,  fitted  in 
the  same  manner,  on  Wednesday  the  26th.  The  day 
following,  just  after  we  had  passed  a  place  called  Mur 
dering  Town,  where  we  intended  to  quit  the  path  and 
steer  across  the  country  for  Shannopin's  Town,  we  fell 
in  with  a  party  of  French  Indians,  who  had  lain  in 
wait  for  us.  One  of  them  fired  at  Mr.  Gist  or  me,  not 
fifteen  steps  off,  but  fortunately  missed.  We  took  this 
fellow  into  custody,  and  kept  him  until  about  nine  o'clock 
at  night ;  then  let  him  go,  and  walked  all  the  remain 
ing  part  of  the  night  without  making  any  stop,  that  we 
might  get  the  start  so  far,  as  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  their 
pursuit  the  next  day,  since  we  were  well  assured  they 
would  follow  our  track  as  soon  as  it  was  light.  The 
next  day  we  continued  travelling  until  quite  dark,  and 
got  to  the  river  about  two  miles  above  Shannopin's. 
We  expected  to  have  found  the  river  frozen,  but  it  was 
not,  only  about  fifty  yards  from  each  shore.  The  ice, 
I  suppose,  had  broken  up  above,  for  it  was  driving  in 
vast  quantities.  There  was  no  way  for  getting  over  but  on 
a  raft,  wThich  we  set  about  with  but  one  poor  hatchet,  and 
finished  just  after  sun-setting.  This  was  a  whole  day's 
work ;  we  next  got  it  launched,  then  went  on  board  of 
it,  and  set  off ;  but  before  we  were  half  way  over,  we 
were  jammed  in  the  ice  in  such  a  manner,  that  we  ex 
pected  every  moment  our  raft  to  sink,  and  ourselves  to 
perish,  i  put  out  my  setting-pole  to  try  to  stop  the  raft. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  229 

that  the  ice  might  pass  by,  when  the  rapidity  of  the 
stream  threw  it  with  so  much  violence  against  the  pole, 
that  it  jerked  me  out  into  ten  feet  water  ;  but  I  fortunately 
saved  myself  by  catching  hold  of  one  of  the  raft-logs. 
Notwithstanding  all  our  efforts,  we  could  not  get  to 
either  shore,  but  wTere  obliged,  as  we  were  near  an 
island,  to  quit  our  raft  and  make  to  it. 

u  The  cold  was  so  extremely  severe,  that  Mr.  Gist 
had  all  his  fingers  and  some  of  his  toes  frozen,  and  the 
water  was  shut  up  so  hard,  that  \ve  found  no  difficulty 
in  getting  off  the  island  on  the  ice  in  the  morning,  and 
went  to  Mr.  Frazier's. 

***#**# 

<:  Tuesday  the  1st  of  January,  we  left  Mr.  Frazier's 
house,  and  arrived  at  Mr.  Gist's,  at  Monongahela,  the 
2d,  where  I  bought  a  horse  and  saddle.  The  6th,  we 
met  seventeen  horses  loaded  with  materials  and  stone  for 
a  fort  at  the  Fork  of  the  Ohio,  and  the  day  after,  some 
families  going  out  to  settle.  This  day  we  arrived  at 
Will's  Creek,  after  as  fatiguing  a  journey  as  it  is  possi 
ble  to  conceive,  rendered  so  by  excessive  bad  weather. 
From  the  1st  of  December  to  the  15th,  there  was  but 
one  day  on  which  it  did  not  rain  or  snow  incessantly  ; 
and  throughout  the  whole  journey,  we  met  with  nothing 
but  one  continued  series  of  cold,  wet  weather,  which  oc 
casioned  very  uncomfortable  lodgings,  especially  after 
we  had  quitted  our  tent,  which  was  some  screen  from  the 
inclemency  of  it. 

"On  the  llth,  I  got  to  Belvoir,  where  I  stopped  one 
day  to  take  necessary  rest ;  and  then  set  out  and  arrived 
in  Williamsburg  on  the  16th,  when  I  waited  upon  his 
Honour  the  Governour,  with  the  letter  I  had  brought  from 

20 


230  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the  French  commandant,  and  to  give  an  account  of 
the  success  of  my  proceedings,"  &c. 

In  the  military  expedition  to  the  West,  which  soon 
followed  the  report  of  his  first  visit  as  contained  in  his 
journalj  just  quoted,  and  of  which  he  was,  originally, 
second  in  command,  and  then,  first,  in  consequence  of 
the  death  of  the  commanding  officer,  Colonel  Fry — the 
same  trials,  difficulties,  and  privations  were  willingly 
encountered.  To  this,  his  letters  written  at  various 
periods  during  the  campaign,  frequently  refer.  The 
following  passages  are  taken  from  a  communication  to 
Governour  Dinwiddie,  dated  "Camp,  at  the  Great  Mea 
dows,  29th  May,  1754 : 

"  And  here  I  cannot  forbear  answering  one  thing  more 
in  your  letter  on  this  head,  which,  too,  is  more  fully 
expressed  in  a  paragraph  of  Colonel  Fairfax's  letter 
to  me,  as  follows ; — 'If  on  the  British  establishment, 
officers  are  allowed  more  pay,  the  regimentals  they  are 
obliged  annually  to  furnish,  and  their  necessary  table  and 
other  incidental  expenses,  being  considered,  little  or  no 
savings  will  be  their  portion.' 

"  I  believe  it  is  well  known,  that  we  have  been  at  the 
expense  of  regimentals  ;  and  it  is  stilljibetter  known,  that 
regimentals,  and  every  other  necessary,  which  we  were 
under  an  indispensable  necessity  of  purchasing  for  this 
expedition,  were  not  to  be  bought  for  less  in  Virginia 
currency,  than  they  would  cost  British  officers  in  sterling 
money ;  which  ought  to  have  been  the  case  to  put  us  on 
a  parity  in  this  respect.  Then,  Colonel  Fairfax  observes, 
that  their  table  and  other  incidental  charges  prevent 
them  from  saving  much.  They  have  the  enjoyment  of 
their  pay,  which  we  neither  have  in  one  sense  nor  the 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  231 

other.  We  are  debarred  the  pleasure  of  good  living ; 
and,  sir,  I  dare  say  you  will  acknowledge,  that,  with 
one  who  has  always  been  used  to  it,  it  must  go  somewhat 
hard  to  be  confined  to  a  little  salt  provision  and  water} 
and  to  do  duty,  hard,  laborious  duty,  which  is  almost 
inconsistent  with  that  of  a  soldier,  and  yet  have  the  same 
reductions  as  if  he  were  allowed  luxuriously.  My  pay, 
according  to  the  British  establishment  and  common 
exchange,  would  be  near  twenty  shillings  per  day  ;  in 
the  room  of  which,  the  Committee,  (for  I  cannot  in  the 
least  imagine  your  Honour  had  any  hand  in  it,)  has  pro 
vided  twelve  shillings  and  six-pence,  so  long  as  the  service 
continues,  whereas  one  half  of  the  other  is  confirmed  to 
British  officers  for  life.  Now  if  we  should  be  fortunate 
enough  to  drive  the  French  from  the  Ohio,  as  far  as  your 
Honour  would  please  to  have  them  sent,  in  any  short 
time,  our  pay  will  not  be  sufficient  to  discharge  our  first 
expenses. 

"  I  would  not  have  you  to  imagine  from  this,  that  I 
have  said  all  these  things  to  have  the  pay  increased,  but 
to  justify  myself,  and  show  you  that  our  complaints  are 
not  frivolous,  but  founded  upon  strict  reason. 

#*##**#* 

c-  Now,  sir,  as  I  have  answered  your  letter,  I  shall  beg 
leave  to  acquaint  you  with  what  has  happened  since  I 
wrote  by  Mr.  Gist.  I  there  informed  you  that  I  had 
detached  a  party  of  seventy-five  men  to  meet  fifty  of  the 
French,  who,  we  had  intelligence,  were  upon  their 
march  towards  us.  About  nine  o'clock  the  same  night, 
I  received  an  express  from  the  Half-King,  who  was  en 
camped  with  several  of  his  people  about  six  miles  off, 
that  he  had  seen  the  tracks  of  two  Frenchmen  crossing 


232  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS    AND 

the  road,  and  that,  behind,  the  whole  body  were  lying 
not  far  off,  as  he  had  an  account  of  that  number  passing 
Mr.  Gist's. 

"  I  set  out  with  forty  men  before  ten,  and  it  was  from 
that  time  till  near  sunrise  before  we  reached  the  Indians' 
camp,  having  marched  in  small  paths,  through  a  heavy 
rain,  and  a  night  as  dark  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive. 
We  were  frequently  tumbling  one  over  another,  and 
often  so  lost,  that  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  search  would 
not  find  the  path  again." 

During  the  whole  of  the  war,  which  was  now  com 
mencing,  we  find  him  ever  acting  upon  the  same  prin 
ciple,  of  patiently  enduring  every  inconvenience  growing 
necessarily  out  of  the  service. 

In  October,  1757,  he  wrote  from  Fort  Loudoun, 
(Winchester),  to  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Bur- 


"  I  applied  to  the  Governour  for  permission  to  go  down 
and  settle  my  accounts  before  he  leaves  the  country, 
and  to  represent  the  melancholy  situation  of  our  distress 
ed  frontiers,  which  no  written  narrative  can  so  well 
describe,  as  a  verbal  account  to  a  judicious  person  in 
clined  to  hear.  In  conversation,  the  questions  resulting 
from  one  relation  beget  others,  till  matters  are  perfectly 
understood ;  whereas  the  most  explicit  writing  will  be 
found  deficient.  But  his  Honour  was  pleased  to  deny  his 
leave,  thinking  my  request  unreasonable,  and  that  I 
had  some  party  of  pleasure  in  view." 

In  writing  to  the  Governour  he  said  : 

"  It  was  not  to  enjoy  a  party  of  pleasure,  that  I 
wanted  leave  of  absence.  I  have  been  indulged  with 
few  of  those  winter  or  summer." 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON. 

About  this  period,  Colonel  Washington's  health  be 
came  bad.  By  the  urgent  advice  of  Dr.  Craik  he  left 
the  army,  and  retired  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  was 
reduced  so  low  by  dysentery  and  fever,  that  it  was 
more  than  four  months  before  he  was  able  to  resume 
his  command. 

He  was  not  willing  however  to  be  idle,  as  will  appear 
from  the  following  letter,  written  to  the  President  of  the 
Council,  and  dated  "Mount  Vernon,  20th  February, 
1758  :- 

'•  I  set  out  for  Williamsburg  the  day  after  the  date  of 
my  letter,  but  found  I  was  unable  to  proceed,  my  fever 
and  pain  increasing  upon  me  to  a  high  degree ;  and  the 
physicians  assured  me,  that  I  might  endanger  my  life 
by  prosecuting  the  journey. 

"  In  consequence  of  that  advice,  I  returned  to  this 
place  again,  and  informed  your  Honour  of  the  reason  of 
my  detention,  by  the  post,  whom  I  met  on  the  road,  and 
who,  I  have  since  understood,  never  lodged  my  letter 
in  the  post-office  at  Fredericksburg.  which  is  the  cause  of 
my  now  writing  to  the  same  purport.  When  I  shall  be 
sufficiently  able  to  attempt  the  journey  again,  I  cannot 
say ;  but  I  shall  make  no  delay  after  I  am  in  a  con~ 
dition  to  perform  it." 

Some  short  time  after  this,  Colonel  Washington 
resumed  his  command,  and  served  till  the  end  of  the 
war.  During  the  five  years  of  its  continuance,  his 
sufferings  and  trials  were  many  and  great.  A  more 
perplexing  situation  no  man  ever  filled.  And  strange  to 
say,  one  of  the  most  fruitful  sources  of  vexation  and 
annoyance  to  him,  was  the  ill-nature  and  unkindness 
of  the  Governour  under  whose  authority  he  acted,  and 

20* 


234  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

that  with  the  utmost  deference  and  humility.  To  this  the 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  alludes,  in  the  fol 
lowing  language,  addressed  to  Washington,  in  reference 
to  Dinwiddie's  contemplated  departure  for  England. 

"  We  have  not  yet  heard  who  is  to  succeed  him.  God 
grant  it  may  be  somebody  better  acquainted  with  the 
unhappy  business  we  have  in  hand,  and  who  by  his 
conduct  and  counsel,  may  dispel  the  cloud  now  hanging 
over  this  distressed  country.  Till  that  event,  I  beg,  my 
dear  friend,  that  you  will  bear,  so  far  as  a  man  of  honour 
ought,  the  discouragements  and  slights  you  have  too  oft 
en  met  with,  and  continue  to  serve  your  country,  as  I 
am  convinced  you  have  always  hitherto  done,  in  the 
best  manner  you  can,  with  the  small  assistance  afforded 
you." 

Thus  did  he  continue  to  bear  his  difficulties,  and  labour 
unceasingly  for  the  good  of  his  country,  till  the  close  of 
the  year  1758,  when  the  war  and  his  service  ended 
together. 

Writing  to  Richard  Washington,  a  friend  in  London, 
under  date  of  "Mount  Vernon  20th  October,  1761,"  he 
thus  expressed  himself  in  reference  to  his  dress : — 

"  On  the  other  side  is  an  invoice  of  clothes,  which  I  beg 
the  favour  of  you  to  purchase  for  me,  and  to  send  them  by 
the  first  ship  bound  to  this  river.  As  they  are  designed  for 
wearing  apparel  for  myself,  I  have  committed  the  choice 
of  them  to  your  fancy,  having  the  best  opinion  of  your 
taste.  /  want  neither  lace  nor  embroidery.  Plain 
clothes,  with  gold  or  silver  buttons,  if  worn  in  genteel 
dress,  are  all  that  I  desire.  I  have  hitherto  had  my 
clothes  made  by  one  Charles  Lawrence.  Whether  it  be 
the  fault  of  the  tailor,  or  of  the  measure  sent,  I  cannot 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  235 

say,  but,  certain  it  is,  my  clothes  have  never  fitted  me 
well.  I  therefore  leave  the  choice  of  the  workman  to 
you.  I  enclose  a  measure,  and,  for  a  further  direction, 
I  think  it  not  amiss  to  add,  that  my  stature  is  six  feet ; 
otherwise  rather  slender  than  corpulent." 

During  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  same  spirit  of 
self-denial  seems  to  have  attended  him.  In  a  letter  to 
the  President  of  Congress,  dated  New- York,  22d  April, 
1776,  he  thus  writes  : 

11 1  give  in  to  no  kind  of  amusements  myself;  and 
consequently,  those  about  me  can  have  none ;  but  are  con 
fined  from  morning  till  evening,  hearing  and  answering 
the  applications  and  letters  of  one  and  another,  which 
will  now,  I  expect,  receive  a  considerable  addition,  as  the 
business  of  the  northern  and  eastern  departments,  if  I 
continue  here,  must,  I  suppose,  pass  through  my  hands. 
If  these  gentlemen  (his  aids)  had  the  same  relaxation 
from  duty  as  other  officers  have  in  their  common  routine, 
there  would  not  be  so  much  in  it.  But,  to  have  the  mind 
always  upon  the  stretch,  scarce  ever  unbent,  and  no  hours 
for  recreation,  makes  a  material  odds.  Knowing  this,  and 
at  the  same  time  how  inadequate  the  pay  is,  I  can  scarce 
find  inclination  to  impose  the  necessary  duties  of  their 
office  upon  them.  To  what  I  have  here  said,  this  further 
remark  may  be  added,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  no  small 
concernment  to  me,  and  in  its  consequences,  to  the  public  ; 
namely,  that  while  the  duty  is  hard  and  the  pay  small, 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  if  there  should  be  found  a 
promptness  in  them  to  seek  preferment,  or  in  me  to  do 
justice  to  them  by  facilitating  their  views  ;  by  which 
means  I  must  lose  their  aid,  when  they  have  it  most  in 
their  power  to  assist  me." 


236  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

During  the  darkest  period  of  the  war,  he  wrote  his 
brother  John  A.  Washington,  date."Camp,  near  the  Falls 
of  Trenton,  18th  December,  1776  : 

"  You  can  form  no  idea  of  the  perplexity  rof  my  si 
tuation.  No  man,  I  believe,  ever  had  a  greater  choice 
of  difficulties,  and  less  means  to  extricate  himself  from 
them.  However,  under  a  full  persuasion  of  the  justice 
of  our  cause,  I  cannot  entertain  an  idea,  that  it  will  fi 
nally  sink,  though  it  may  remain  for  some  time  under  a 
cloud." 

About  eight  days  after  this  letter  was  written,  the 
battle  of  Trenton  was  fought ;  in  which  Providence  once 
more  smiled  upon  the  American  cause,  and  dispelled  the 
heaviest  cloud  that  had  ever  frowned  upon  our  hopes  of 
freedom.  The  relief  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  was  as 
great  as  his  preceding  anxieties  had  been  bitter. 

To  Doctor  John  Cochran,  Surgeon  and  Physician 
General,  he  wrote  from  West  Point,  16th  August,  1779  :— 

« I  have  asked  Mrs.  Cochran  and  Mrs.  Livingston 
to  dine  with  me  to-morrow ;  but  am  I  not  in  honour 
bound  to  apprize  them  of  their  fare  ?  As  I  hate  decep 
tion,  even  where  the  imagination  only  is  concerned,  I 
will.  It  is  needless  to  premise,  that  my  table  is  large 
enough  to  hold  the  ladies.  Of  this  they  had  ocular  proof 
yesterday.  To  say  how  it  is  usually  covered,  is  rather 
more  essential ;  and  this  shall  be  the  purport  of  my  letter. 

'•'  Since  our  arrival  at  this  happy  spot,  we  have  had 
a  ham,  sometimes  a  shoulder  of  bacon,  to  grace  the  head 
of  the  table ;  a  piece  of  roast  beef  adorns  the  foot ;  and  a 
dish  of  beans,  or  greens,  almost  inperceptible,  decorates 
the  centre.  When  the  cook  has  a  mind  to  cut  a  figure, 
which  I  presume  will  be  the  case  to-morrow,  we  have 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  237 

two  beef-steak  pies,  or  dishes  of  crabs,  in  addition,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  centre  dish,  dividing  the  space  and  re 
ducing  the  distance  between  dish  and  dish  to  about  six 
feet,  which  without  them  would  be  near  twelve  feet  apart. 
Of  late  he  has  had  the  surprising  sagacity  to  discover, 
that  apples  will  make  pies  ;  and  it  is  a  question,  if,  in  the 
violence  of  his  efforts,  we  do  not  get  one  of  apples,  instead 
of  having  both  of  beef-steaks.  If  the  ladies  can  put  up 
with  such  entertainment,  and  will  submit  to  partake  of 
it  on  plates,  once  tin,  but  now  iron,  (not  become  so  by  the 
labour  of  scouring)  I  shall  be  happy  to  see  them,  and  am, 
dear  Doctor,  yours,"  &c. 

To  Major-General  Greene  he  wrote,  from  Head- 
Quarters  at  Morristown,  22d  January,  1780  : — 

"  Appearances  and  facts  must  speak  for  themselves. 
To  these  I  appeal.  I  have  been  at  my  present  quarters 
since  the  first  day  of  December,  and  have  not  a  kitchen 
to  cook  a  dinner  in,  although  the  logs  have  been  put 
together  some  considerable  time  by  my  own  guard.  Nor 
is  there  a  place  at  this  moment,  in  which  a  servant  can 
lodge,  with  the  smallest  degree  of  comfort.  Eighteen  be 
longing  to  my  family,  and  all  Mrs.  Ford's,  are  crowded 
together  in  her  kitchen,  and  scarce  one  of  them  able  to 
speak  for  the  colds  they  have  caught. 

'•  I  have  respeatedly  taken  notice  of  this  incon 
venience,  to  Major  Gibbs,  and  have  as  often  been  told,  that 
boards  were  not  to  be  had.  I  acquiesced,  and  believe 
you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  acknowledge,  that  it  never 
has  been  my  practice  to  involve  the  public  in  any  ex 
pense  which  I  could  possibly  avoid,  or  derive  benefits, 
which  would  be  inconvenient  or  prejudicial  to  others. 
To  share  the  common  lot,  and  participate  the  incon- 


238  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

veniences,  which  the  army,  from  the  peculiarity  of  our 
circumstances,  are  obliged  to  undergo,  has  with  me,  been 
a  fundamental  principle  ;  and  while  I  conceived  this  to 
be  the  case  universally,  I  was  perfectly  content.  That 
it  is  not  so,  I  appeal  to  your  own  observation  ;  though  I 
never  intended  to  make  the  remark,  nor  should  I  have 
done  it,  but  for  the  question  which  involuntarily  drew 
from  me  the  answer,  which  has  become  the  subject  of 
your  letter. 

li  Equally  opposed  is  it  to  my  wishes  and  expectation, 
that  you  should  be  troubled  in  matters  respecting  my 
accommodation,  further  than  to  give  the  necessary  orders, 
and  furnish  materials,  without  which  orders  are  nuga 
tory.  From  what  you  have  said,  I  am  fully  satisfied 
that  the  persons  to  whom  you  entrusted  the  execution  of 
the  business  are  alone  to  blame  ;  for  certain  I  am,  they 
might  by  attention  have  obtained,  equally  with  others, 
as  many  boards  as  would  have  answered  my  purposes 
long  ere  this.  Far,  very  far  is  it  from  me,  to  censure 
any  measure  you  have  adopted  for  your  own  accommoda 
tion,  or  for  the  more  immediate  convenience  of  Mrs. 
Greene.  At  all  times  I  think  you  are  entitled  to  as 
good,  as  circumstances  will  afford,  and  in  the  present  con 
dition  of  your  lady,  1  conceive  that  no  delay  could 
be  admitted.  I  should  therefore,  with  great  willingness, 
have  made  my  convenience  yield  to  hers,  if  the  point 
had  lain  there,  being  very  sincerely,  your  obedient  and 
affectionate  servant,"  &c. 

In  regard  to  the  simplicity  of  his  dress  the  following 
anecdote  will  serve  for  illustration  : — 

"One  day,  Colonel  Meade,  a  valued  friend  of  Wash 
ington,  was  met  by  Mr.  Custis,  the  then  youthful  grand- 


CHARACTER    OF   WASHINGTON.  239 

son  of  Mrs.  Washington  ;  Colonel  Meade  inquired  if  he 
should  find  the  General  at  the  house,  or  if  he  was  out 
on  the  farm.  Mr.  Custis  not  knowing  Colonel  Meade, 
replied  that  the  General  was  out ;  and  giving  directions 
as  to  the  part  of  the  farm  on  which  he  would  probably 
be  found,  added,  "  You  will  meet,  sir,  with  an  old  gentle 
man,  riding  alone,  in  plain  drab  clothes,  a  broad  brim 
med  white  hat,  a  hickory  switch  in  his  hand,  and  carry 
ing  an  unbrella,  with  a  long  staff,  which  is  attached  to 
his  saddle-bow, — that,  sir,  is  General  Washington  ! " 
The  old  friend  of  Washington  replied,  "  Thank  you, 
thank  you,  young  gentleman  ;  I  think,  if  I  fall  in  with 
the  General,  I  shall  be  apt  to  know  him." 


240  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 


CHAPTER   XII. 

HIS      DISINTERESTEDNESS. 

IN  proportion  to  the  many  evils  confessedly  flowing 
from  a  selfish  principle,  are  the  numerous  blessings 
arising  from  the  influence  of  a  large  and  liberal  spirit. 
While  the  first  aims  at  private  good  alone,  unmindful  of 
the  interests  or  weal  of  others  ;  the  last  looks  upon  the 
general  welfare  with  a  generous  concern,  and  seeks  to 
promote  the  same,  by  willing  efforts,  labours,  and  sacri 
fices.  "  No  man  liveth  to  himself."  The  good  of  the 
whole  claims  a  common  concern  among  all  the  members 
of  the  social  body  ;  and  he  who  does  not  thus  respect 
his  relative  obligations,  violates  a  sacred  law  of  Heaven, 
and  subjects  himself  to  a  condemnation,  as  severe  as  the 
offence  is  injurious.  On  the  other  hand  the  faithful  and 
conscientious  observer  of  this  claim,  will  find  a  high  re 
ward  in  the  approbation  of  God  ;  and,  in  the  gratitude 
and  applause  of  the  virtuous  among  men. 

Of  this  excellent  principle  of  action,  we  have  a  high 
example  in  the  immortal  subject  of  our  present  work. 
Through  life,  it  was  one  of  his  distinguishing  character 
istics.  It  controlled  him  alike  in  war  and  peace.  It 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  241 

was  always  one  of  the  most  vigorous  springs  by  which 
his  conduct  was  actuated.  It  is  impossible  to  study 
his  character  without  seeing  that,  in  all  his  labours  and 
sacrifices,  he  was  governed  by  an  unfeigned  concern 
for  the  happiness  of  others,  without  regard  to  his  own 
personal  convenience  or  comfort. 

Let  us  turn  to  his  writings  again  for  the  evidences  of 
this  valuable  trait. 

Writing  to  John  Robinson,  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Delegates,  under  date  of  "  Mount  Vernon,  20th  April, 
1755,"  he  says  :— 

"  I  little  expected,  when  I  wrote  you  last,  that  I  should 
so  soon  engage  in  another  campaign  ;  but  in  doing  it, 
I  may  be  allowed  to  claim  some  merit,  if  it  is  considered 
that  the  sole  motive  which  invites  me  to  the  field,  is,  the 
laudable  desire  of  serving  my  country,  not  the  gra 
tification  of  any  ambitious  or  lucrative  plans.  This, 
I  flatter  myself,  will  manifestly  appear  by  my  going  as  a 
volunteer,  without  expectation  of  reward,  or  prospect  of 
obtaining  a  command,  as  I  am  confidently  assured  it  is 
not  in  General  Braddock's  power  to  give  me  a  commis 
sion  that  I  would  accept.  Perhaps,  by  many  others,  the 
above  declarations  might  be  construed  into  self-applause, 
which,  unwilling  to  lose,  1  proclaim  myself.  But,  by 
you,  sir,  I  expect  it  will  be  viewed  in  a  different  light, 
because  you  have  sympathized  in  my  disappointments, 
and  lent  your  friendly  aid  to  reinstate  me  in  a  suitable 
command  ;  the  recollection  of  which  can  never  be  lost 
upon  a  mind  that  is  not  insensible  of  obligations,  but 
always  ready  to  acknowledge  them. 

"This  is  the  reason  why  I  am  so  much  more  un 
reserved  in  the  expression  of  my  sentiments  to  you,  than 

21  ' 


242  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

I  should  be  to  the  world,  whose  censures  and  criticisms 
often  place  good  designs  in  a  bad  light.  But  [to  be  in 
genuous,  I  must  confess  that  1  have  other  intentions  in 
writing  this  letter  ;  for  if  there  is  any  merit  in  my  case,  I 
am  unwilling  to  hazard  it  among  my  friends,  without 
this  exposition  of  facts,  as  they  might  conceive  that  some 
advantageous  offers  had  engaged  my  services,  when, 
in  reality,  it  is  otherwise  ;  for  I  expect  to  be  a  consider 
able  loser  in  my  private  affairs  by  going." 

Soon  after  Braddock's  defeat,  and  the  return  of  Wash 
ington  from  that  disastrous  campaign,  he  wrote  to  his 
brother,  Augustine  Washington,  then  in  Williamsburg, 
as  a  member  of  the  Assembly,  the  date,  "  Mount  Ver^ 
non,  2d  August,  1755. 

"  I  am  not  able,  were  I  ever  so  willing,  to  meet  you  in 
town,  for  I  assure  you,  it  is  with  some  difficulty,  and 
much  fatigue,  that  I  visit  my  plantations ;  so  much  has 
a  sickness  of  five  weeks'  continuance  reduced  me* 

But so  little  am  I  dispirited  at  what  has 

happened,  that  I  assure  you,  I  am  always  ready,  and 
always  willing,  to  render  my  country  any  services  that 
I  am  capable  of,  but  never  upon  the  terms  I  have  done ; 
having  suffered  much  in  my  private  fortune,  besides 
impairing  one  of  the  best  of  constitutions. 

"  I  was  employed  to  go  a  journey  in  the  winter,  when, 
I  believe,  few  or  none  would  have  undertaken  it — and 
what  did  I  get  by  it  ?  My  expenses  borne !  I  then 
was  appointed,  with  trifling  pay,  to  conduct  a  handful  of 
men  to  the  Ohio.  What  did  I  get  by  that?  Why, 
after  putting  myself  to  a  considerable  expense,  in  equip 
ping  and  providing  necessaries  for  the  campaign,  I  went 
out,  was  soundly  beaten,  and  lost  them  all ! — came  in, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  243 

and  had  my  commission  taken  from  me,  or  in  other 
words,  my  command  reduced,  under  pretence  of  an  order 
from  home.  I  then  went  out  a  volunteer  with  General 
Braddock.  and  lost  all  my  horses,  and  many  other  things. 
But  this  being  a  voluntary  act,  I  ought  not  to  have  men 
tioned  it :  nor  should  I  have  done  it,  were  it  not  to  show, 
that  I  have  been  upon  the  losing  order  ever  since  I  en 
tered  the  service,  which  is  now  nearly  two  years.  So 
that  I  think  I  cannot  be  blamed,  should  I,  if  I  leave  my 
family  again,  endeavour  to  do  it  upon  such  terms,  as  to 
prevent  my  suffering ;  to  gain  by  it  being  the  least  of 
my  expectations." 

In  accepting  the  command  of  the  American  Army  in 
June,  1775,  he  delivered  the  following  address,  in  answer 
to  one  from  the  President  of  Congress,  giving  him 
official  notice  of  his  appointment. 

"  Mr.  President, — Though  I  am  truly  sensible  of  the 
high  honour  done  to  me  in  this  appointment,  yet  I  feel 
great  distress,  from  a  consciousness  that  my  abilities  and 
military  experience  may  not  be  equal  to  the  extensive 
and  important  trust.  However,  as  the  Congress  desire  it, 
I  will  enter  upon  the  momentous  duty,  and  exert  every 
power  I  possess  in  their  service,  and  for  the  support  of 
the  glorious  cause.  I  beg  they  will  accept  my  most  cor 
dial  thanks  for  this  distinguished  testimony  of  their  ap 
probation. 

"But  lest  some  unlucky  event  should  happen,  un 
favourable  to  my  reputation,  I  beg  it  may  be  remembered 
by  every  gentleman  in  the  room,  that  I  this  day  declare 
with  the  utmost  sincerity,  I  do  not  think  myself  equal  to 
the  command  I  am  honoured  with. 

i(  As  to  pay,  sir,  2  beg  leave  to  assure  the  Con- 


244  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

gress  that,  as  no  pecuniary  consideration  could 
have  tempted  me  to  accept  this  arduous  employment , 
at  the  expense  of  my  domestic  ease  and  happiness,  I 
do  not  wish  to  make  any  profit  from  it.  I  will  keep 
an  exact  account  of  my  expenses.  Those,  1  doubt 
not,  they  will  discharge  ;  and  that  is  all  1  desire" 

In  reference  to  the  generosity  displayed  in  the  above 
address,  John  Adams  wrote  to  Mr.  Gerry,  a  few  days 
after  the  event : — 

"  There  is  something  charming  to  me  in  the  conduct 
of  Washingon.  A  gentleman  of  one  of  the  first  fortunes 
upon  the  continent,  leaving  his  delicious  retirement,  his 
family  and  friends,  sacrificing  his  ease,  and  hazarding 
all  in  the  cause  of  his  country !  His  views  are  noble 
and  disinterested.  He  declared,  when  he  accepted  the 
mighty  trust  that  he  would  lay  before  us  an  exact  ac 
count  of  his  expenses,  and  not  accept  a  shilling  for  pay." 

In  a  letter,  dated  Valley  Forge,  10th  April,  1778,  and 
written  to  the  President  of  Congress,  in  reference  to  a 
previous  suggestion  concerning  a  better  provision  for  the 
officers  of  the  army,  he  says : 

"  It  may  be  said  by  some,  sir,  that  my  wish  to  see  the 
officers  of  this  army  upon  a  more  respectable  establish 
ment,  is  the  cause  of  my  solicitude,  and  carries  me  too 
far.  To  such  I  can  declare,  that  my  anxiety  proceeds 
from  the  causes  above-mentioned Person 
ally,  as  an  officer,  I  have  no  interest  in  the  decision  of 
Congress,  because  I  have  declared,  and  I  now  repeat  it 
that  I  never  will  receive  the  smallest  benefit  from  the 
half-pay  establishment ;  *  but  as  a  man  who  fights  un- 

*  Washington  cou!d  plead  for  others^  while  he  would  receive  nothing 
for  himself. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  345 

der  the  weight  of  a  proscription,  and  as  a  citizen  who 
wishes  to  see  the  liberties  of  his  country  established  upon 
a  permanent  foundation,  and  whose  property  depends 
upon  the  success  of  our  arms,  I  am  deeply  interested." 

The  following  letter  was  written  by  him  to  Lund 
Washington,  from  West  Point,  17th  August,  1779, 

"Sir, 

'•  Sometime  ago  you  applied  to  me  to  know,  if  you 
should  receive  payment   of  General  M  —    -  's  bonds, 

and  of  the  bond  due  from  the  deceased  Mr.  M 's 

estate ;  and  you  were,  after  animadverting  a  little  upon 
the  subject,  authorized  to  do  so.  Of  course,  I  presume 
the  money  has  been  received.  I  have  since  considered 
the  matter  in  every  point  of  view  in  which  my  judg 
ment  enables  me  to  place  it,  and  am  resolved  to  receive 
no  more  old  debts,  (such  I  mean  as  were  contracted 
and  ought  to  have  been  paid  before  the  war,)  at  the  pre 
sent  nominal  value  of  the  money,  unless  compelled  to  do 
it,  or  it  is  the  practice  of  others  to  do  it.  Neither  justice, 
reason,  nor  policy  require  it.  The  law  undoubtedly  was 
well  designed.  It  was  intended  to  stamp  a  value  upon, 
and  to  give  a  free  circulation  to,  the  paper  bills  of  credit ; 
but  it  never  was  nor  could  have  been  intended  to  make 
a  man  take  a  shilling  or  six-pence  in  the  pound,  for  a 
just  debt,  which  his  debtor  is  well  able  to  pay,  and  there 
by  involve  himself  in  ruin.  I  am  willing  now,  as  ever 
I  was,  to  take  paper  money  for  every  kind  of  debt,  and 
at  its  present  depreciated  value,  for  those  debts  which 
have  been  contracted  since  the  money  became  so ;  but  I 
will  not,  in  future,  receive  the  nominal  sum  for  such  old 
debts  as  come  under  the  above  description,  except  as  be^ 
fore  specified. 

21* 


246  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  The  fear  of  injuring,  by  any  example  of  mine,  the 
credit  of  our  paper  currency,  if  I  attempted  to  discrimi 
nate  between  the  real  and  the  nominal  value  of  paper 
money,  has  already  sunk  for  me  a  large  sum,  if  the 
bonds  before  mentioned  are  paid  off;  the  advantage 
taken  in  doing  which,  no  man  of  honour,  or  common 
honesty,  can  reconcile  to  his  own  feelings  or  conscience  ; 
not  as  respects  me  do  I  mean,  but  transactions  of  this 
kind  generally.  The  thing  which  induces  me  to  men 
tion  the  matter  to  you  at  present  is,  the  circumstance  you 
have  related  respecting  the  wages  of  Roberts,  which 
you  say,  according  to  his  demands,  will  amount  to  up 
wards  of  two  thousand  pounds,  and  come  to  as  much 
for  the  service  of  a  common  miller  for  one  year  only,  as 
I  shall  get  for  six  hundred  acres  of  land  sold  to  M  - 
in  the  best  of  times  and  in  the  most  valuable  part  of 
Virginia,  that  ought  to  have  been  paid  for  before  the 
money  began  to  depreciate ;  nay,  years  before  the 
war.  This  is  such  a  manifest  abuse  of  reason  and  jus 
tice,  that  no  arguments  can  reconcile  it  to  common  sense 
or  common  honesty.  Instead  of  appealing  to  me,  who 
have  not  the  means  of  information,  or  knowledge  of 
common  usage  and  practice  in  matters  of  this  kind  in 
the  State,  or  the  laws  that  govern  there,  I  wish  you 
would  consult  men  of  honour,  honesty,  and  firm  attach 
ment  to  the  cause,  and  govern  yourself  by  their  advice, 
or  by  their  conduct.  If  it  be  customary  with  others  to 
receive  money  in  this  way,  that  is,  six-pence  or  one 
shilling  in  the  pound  for  old  debts  ;  if  it  is  thought  to  be 
promotive  of  the  great  cause  we  embarked  in  for  indivi 
duals  to  do  so,  thereby  ruining  themselves,  whilst  others 
are  reaping  the  benefit  of  such  distress ;  if  the  law  impo- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  247 

ses  this,  and  it  is  thought  right  to  submit,  I  will  not  say 
aught  against  it,  nor  oppose  another  word  to  it.  No  man 
has  gone,  and  no  man  will  go  further  to  serve  the  pub 
lic  than  myself.  If  sacrificing  my  whole  estate  would 
efTect  any  valuable  purpose,  1  would  not  hesitate  one 
moment  in  doing  it.  But  my  submitting  in  matters  of 
this  kind,  unless  the  same  is  done  by  others,  is  no  more 
than  a  drop  in  the  bucket.  In  fact,  it  is  not  serving  the 
public,  but  enriching  individuals,  and  countenancing 
dishonesty  ;  for  sure  I  am,  that  no  honest  man  would  at 
tempt  to  pay  twenty  shillings  with  one,  or  perhaps  half 
of  one.  In  a  word,  I  had  rather  make  a  present  of  the 
bonds,  than  receive  payment  of  them  in  so  shameful  a 
way.  I  am,"  &c. 

He  wrote  to  the  same,  30th  April,  1781 : 
"  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  of  your  loss.  I  am  a  little 
sorry  to  hear  of  my  own  ;  but  that  which  gives  me  most 
concern  is,  that  you  should  go  on  board  the  enemy's 
vessels,  and  furnish  them  with  refreshments.  It  would 
have  been  a  less  painful  circumstance  to  me  to  have 
heard,  that  in  consequence  of  your  non-compliance  with 
their  request,  they  had  burnt  my  house  and  laid  the 
plantation  in  ruins.  You  ought  to  have  considered 
yourself  as  my  representative,  and  should  have  reflected 
on  the  bad  example  of  communicating  with  the  enemy, 
and  making  a  voluntary  offer  of  refreshments  to  them 
with  a  view  to  prevent  a  conflagration. 

******** 

I  have  no  doubt  of  the  enemy's  intention  to  prosecute 
the  plundering  plan  they  have  begun  ;  and  unless  a  stop 
can  be  put  to  it,  by  the  arrival  of  a  superior  naval  force, 
I  have  as  little  doubt  of  its  ending  in  the  loss  of  all  my 


248  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS  AND 

negroes,  and  in  the  destruction  of  my  houses  ;  but  I  am 
prepared  for  the  event ;  under  the  prospect  of  which,  if 
you  could  deposit  in  a  place  of  safety  the  most  valuable 
and  least  bulky  articles,  it  might  be  consistent  with 
policy  and  prudence,  and  a  means  of  preserving  them 
hereafter.  Such  and  so  many  things  as  are  necessary 
for  common  and  present  use  must  be  retained,  and  must 
run  their  chance  through  the  fiery  trial  of  this  summer. 
I  am  sincerely  yours." 

These  various  extracts  need  no  comment.  They  all 
bespeak  a  mind,  duly  estimating  the  ordinary  benefits 
and  blessings  of  life,  and  yet  able  to  forget  their  value, 
when  duty  required  the  sacrifice ;  yea,  rising  superior  to 
the  love  of  them,  in  his  higher  regard  for  the  interests 
and  prosperity  of  his  country. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON  249 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

HIS    HUMANITY. 

THAT  a  portion  of  our  race  are  distinguished  by  a 
humane  and  benevolent  disposition,  whilst  others  are 
utter  strangers  thereto,  may  be  confidently  affirmed. 
There  is,  indeed,  in  the  most  of  men,  a  sympathy  with 
their  fellow-creatures  in  distress  ;  but  it  is  often  very  in 
active  and  inefficient,  producing  little  or  no  valuable  fruit 
in  the  life.  It  seldom  goes  beyond  a  slight  momentary 
excitement,  which  soon  dies  away,  leaving  behind  it  no 
practical  evidence  of  its  purity  or  its  power.  In  some 
minds,  however,  there  is  a  higher  and  more  excellent 
specimen  of  this  virtue.  In  these  it  has  a  purer  source. 
And  it  is  therefore  far  more  energetic  in  operation,  and 
more  noble  in  its  achievements.  Such  persons  are  not 
contented  with  mere  feeling,  they  hold  themselves 
bound  by  sacred  obligations,  to  act,  and  if  necessary  to 
suffer  too,  in  behalf  of  their  fellow-men.  Their  sensibility 
is  not  repressed  by  the  chilling  calculations  of  a  selfish 
mind,  or  their  generous  purposes  turned  aside  by  sug 
gestions  of  danger  and  detriment,  attending  too  much 
activity,  in  benevolent  undertakings.  True  love  is  never 
so  easily  discouraged.  It  is  in  its  nature  active  and 


250  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

self-sacrificing — willing  to  encounter  difficulties,  and  pro 
secute  its  designs  of  mercy,  through  frowning  obstacles, 
amidst  delays,  reproaches,  and  even  the  ingratitude  of 
its  objects.  Whilst  an  ordinary  humanity  thus  distin 
guishes  some,  and  a  purer  flame  of  benevolence  glows 
in  the  bosoms  of  others,  there  is  a  third  class,  of  whom 
we  are  compelled  to  believe,  that  they  know  nothing 
whatever  of  this  amiable  affection.  Were  it  convenient 
to  name  living  examples  of  a  hard  and  unfeeling  heart, 
it  would  be  but  a  painful  and  invidious  task.  We  may, 
however,  freely  refer  to  individuals  of  by-gone  ages,  who 
owe  their  chief  celebrity  to  a  monstrous  inhumanity  of 
temper  and  barbarity  of  conduct ;  among  which  must 
especially  be  numbered  such  men  as  Tiberius,  Caligula, 
Nero,  Danton,  and  Robespierre.  These  were  doubtless 
perfect  strangers  to  the  faintest  emotion  of  benevolent 
affection.  The  thought  of  kindness  never  visited  their 
bosoms — the  language  thereof  never  fell  from  their  lips, 
nor  was  a  solitary  page  of  their  lives  ever  brightened 
by  its  deeds.  They  found  pleasure  only  in  working  evil 
to  their  fellow-men — their  delight  was  in  a  rage  for 
human  blood.  Instead  of  sympathizing  in  the  suffer 
ings  of  the  wretched,  the  groans  and  cries  of  such  were 
as  grateful  to  their  callous  souls,  as  are  the  songs  of  the 
happy  to  the  hearts  of  the  humane. 

We  claim  for  the  father  of  our  country  a  large  share 
of  the  virtue  in  question.  Of  this  the  most  pleasing  evi 
dence  will  be  found  in  his  writings — which  furnish,  in 
reference  to  the  various  traits  of  his  finished  character, 
a  mirror  of  unsurpassed  transparency  and  fidelity. 

In  a  skirmish  with  a  small  party  of  French  troops, 
ijear  the  Great  Meadows,  in  May,  1754,  Washington 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  251 

took  a  number  of  prisoners,  among  whom  were  Monsieur 
La  Force  and  Major  Drouillon.  Writing  to  Governour 
Dinwiddie,  he  mentions  these  gentlemen,  and  says: — 

"  They  beg  to  be  recommended  to  your  notice,  and  I 
have  promised  that  they  shall  meet  with  all  the  favour  due 
to  prisoners  of  war.  I  have  shown  all  the  respect  I  could 
to  them  here,  and  have  given  them  some  necessary  cloth 
ing,  by  which  I  have  disfurnished  myself;  for  having 
brought  no  more  than  two  or  three  shirts  from  Will's 
Creek,  that  we  might  be  light,  I  was  ill  provided  to 
supply  them,  I  am,"  &c. 

About  two  years  after  this,  he  wrote  to  the  same,  under 
date  of  Winchester,  22d  April,  1756  :— 

"  This  encloses  several  letters,  and  the  minutes  of  a 
council  of  war,  which  was  held  upon  the  receipt  of  them. 
Your  Honour  may  see  to  what  unhappy  straits  the  dis 
tressed  inhabitants  and  myself  are  reduced.  I  am  too 
little  acquainted,  sir,  with  pathetic  language  to  attempt  a 
description  of  the  people's  distresses,  though  I  have  a  gene 
rous  soul,  sensible  of  wrongs,  and  swelling  for  redress. 
But  what  can  I  do  ?  I  see  their  situation,  know  their 
danger,  and  participate  in  their  sufferings,  without  having 
it  in  my  power  to  give  them  further  relief,  than  uncertain 
promises.  In  short,  I  see  inevitable  destruction  in  so  clear 
a  light,  that,  unless  vigorous  measures  are  taken  by  the 
Assembly,  and  speedy  assistance  sent  from  below,  the 
poor  inhabitants  that  are  now  in  forts,  must  unavoidably 
fall,  while  the  remainder  are  flying  before  the  barbarous 
foe.  In  fine,  the  melancholy  situation  of  the  people, 
the  little  prospect  of  assistance,  the  gross  and  scandalous 
abuse  cast  upon  the  officers  in  general,  which  is  reflect^ 
ing  upon  me  in  particular,  for  suffering  misconduct  of 


£52  BELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

such  extraordinary  kinds,  and  the  distant  prospect,  if 
any,  of  gaining  honour  and  reputation  in  the  service, — 
cause  me  to  lament  the  hour  that  gave  me  a  commission, 
and  would  induce  me,  at  any  other  time  than  this  of 
imminent  danger,  to  resign,  without  one  hesitating  mo 
ment,  a  command  from  which  I  never  expect  to  reap 
either  honour  or  benefit ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  have  almost 
an  absolute  certainty  of  incurring  displeasure  below, 
while  the  murder  of  helpless  families  may  be  laid  to  my 
account  here ! 

"  The  supplicating  tears  of  the  women,  and  moving 
petitions  of  the  men,  melt  me  into  such  deadly  sorrow, 
that  I  solemnly  declare,  if  I  know  my  own  mind,  I 
could  offer  myself  a  willing  sacrifice  to  the  butchering 
enemy,  provided  that  would  contribute  to  the  people's 
ease." 

Two  days  after  the  above  he  wrote  to  the  same  :— 
"  Not  an  hour,  nay  scarcely  a  minute,  passes,  that 
does  not  produce  fresh  alarms  and  melancholy  accounts. 
Nor  is  it  possible  to  give  the  people  the  necessary  assist 
ance  for  their  defence,  on  account  of  the  small  number 
of  men  we  have,  or  that  are  likely  to  be  here  for  some 
time.  The  inhabitants  are  removing  daily,  and  in  a 
short  time  will  leave  this  country  as  desolate  as  Hamp 
shire,  where  scarce  a  family  lives.  Three  families 
were  murdered  the  night  before  last,  at  the  distance  of 
less  than  twelve  miles  from  this  place  ;  and  every  day 
we  have  accounts  of  such  cruelties  and  barbarities,  as 
are  shocking  to  human  nature.  It  is  not  possible  to  con 
ceive  the  situation  and  danger  of  this  miserable  country. 
Such  numbers  of  French  and  Indians  are  all  around, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  253 

that  no  road  is  safe ;  and  here  we  know  not  the  hour 
when  we  may  be  attacked. " 

Three  days  after  he  wrote  to  the  same  again. 

"  The  inhabitants,  who  are  now  in  forts,  are  greatly 
distressed  for  the  want  of  ammunition  and  provision, 
and  are  incessantly  importuning  me  for  both ;  neither 
of  which,  have  I  at  this  place,  [Winchester,]  to  spare. 
And  if  I  had,  I  should  be  much  embarrassed  to  kno\T 
how  to  act,  as  I  could  not  be  safe  in  delivering  them 
without  your  orders ;  but  to  hear  the  cries  of  the  hungry, 
who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  these  places,  with  nothing 
more  than  they  carried  on  their  backs,  is  exceedingly 
moving.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  you  will  give  directions 
concerning  this  matter." 

In  a  letter  to  the  same,  dated  Fort  Loudoun,  Win 
chester,  27th  August,  1757,  we  find  the  following  ex 
pression  of  his  humane  sensibilities. 

"  As  you  were  pleased  to  leave  it  to  my  discretion  to 
punish  or  pardon  the  criminals,  I  have  resolved  on  the 
latter,  since  I  find  example  of  so  little  weight,  and  since 
those  poor  unhappy  criminals  have  undergone  no  small 
pain  of  body  and  mind,  in  a  dark  prison,  closely 
ironed." 

To  General  Gage,  of  the  British  Army,  he  wrote,  at 
the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  under 
date  of  Cambridge,  llth  of  August,  1775  : 

"  I  understand  that  the  officers  engaged  in  the  cause 
of  liberty  and  their  country,  who,  by  the  fortune  of  war, 
have  fallen  into  your  hands,  have  been  thrown,  indiscrim 
inately,  into  a  common  jail  appropriated  for  felons ; 
that  no  consideration  has  been  had  for  those  of  the  most 
respectable  rank,  when  languishing  with  wounds  and 

22 


254  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

sickness ;  and  that  some  have  even  been  amputated  in 
this  unworthy  condition. 

"Let  your  opinion,  sir,  of  the  principle  which  actuates 
them  be  what  it  may,  they  suppose  that  they  act  from 
the  noblest  of  all  principles,  a  love  of  freedom  and  their 
country.  But  political  principles,  I  conceive,  are  foreign 
to  this  point.  The  obligations  arisiflg  from  the  rights  of 
humanity  and  claims  of  rank,  are  universally  binding  and 
extensive,  except  in  case  of  retaliation.  These,  I  should 
have  hoped,  would  have  dictated  a  more  tender  treat 
ment  of  those  individuals,  whom  chance,  or  war,  had  put 
in  your  power.  Nor  can  I  forbear  suggesting  its  fatal 
tendency  to  widen  that  unhappy  breach,  which  you,  and 
those  ministers  under  whom  you  act,  have  so  repeatedly 
declared  your  wish  is  to  see  forever  closed. 

"  My  duty  now  makes  it  necessary  to  apprize  you, 
that,  for  the  future,  I  shall  regulate  all  my  conduct  to 
wards  those  gentlemen,  who  are  or  may  be  in  our  posses 
sion,  exactly  by  the  rule  you  shall  observe  towards  those 
of  ours  now  in  your  custody. 

"  If  severity  and  hardship  mark  the  line  of  your  con 
duct,  painful  as  it  may  be  to  me,  your  prisoners  will  feel 
its  effects.  But  if  kindness  and  humanity  are  shown  to 
ours,  I  shall,  with  pleasure,  consider  those  in  our  hands 
only  as  unfortunate ;  and  they  shall  receive  from  me  that 
treatment  to  which  the  unfortunate  are  ever  entitled." 

When  Colonel  Arnold  was  about  to  march  against 
Quebec,  General  Washington  gave  him  "  Instructions," 
(before  referred  to,)  for  the  regulation  of  his  conduct  in  the 
management  of  that  delicate  and  arduous  enterprise. 
Among  other  instructions  we  find  the  following  : 

"  If  Lord  Chatham's  son  should  be  in  Canada,  and  in 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  255 

any  way  should  fall  into  your  power,  you  are  enjoined 
to  treat  him  with  all  possible  deference  and  respect.  You 
cannot  err  in  paying  too  much  honour  to  the  son  of  so 
illustrious  a  character,  and  so  true  a  friend  to  America. 
Any  other  prisoners,  who  may  fall  into  your  hands,  you 
will  treat  with  as  much  humanity  and  kindness,  as 
may  be  consistent  with  your  own  safety  and  the  public 
interest.  Be  very  particular  in  restraining,  not  only 
your  own  troops,  but  the  Indians,  from  all  acts  of  cruelty 
and  insult,  which  will  disgrace  the  American  arms,  and 
irritate  our  fellow-subjects  against  us." 

To  the  President  of  Congress,  he  wrote  from  Cam 
bridge,  7th  December,  1775 : 

1  Sir, 

"  I  wrote  to  you  the  4th  instant,  by  express,  to 
which  I  beg  you  will  be  referred.  My  fears  that  Brough- 
ton  and  Selman,  would  not  effect  any  good  purpose, 
were  too  well  founded.  They  are  returned,  and  brought 
with  them  three  of  the  principal  inhabitants  from  the 
island  of  St.  John's,  (in  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.)  Mr. 
Callbeck,  as  President  of  the  Council,  acted  as  Govern- 
our.  They  brought  the  Governour's  Commission  and 
the  Province  Seal.  As  the  captains  (Broughton  and 
Selman)  acted  without  any  warrant  for  such  conduct,  I 
have  thought  it  but  justice  to  discharge  these  gentlemen, 
whose  families  were  left  in  the  utmost  distress." 

The  Editor  of  Washington's  Writings,  has  the  follow 
ing  note  on  the  above  letter  : 

"  Broughton  and  Selman  commanded  the  two  armed 
vessels  heretofore  mentioned,  that  had  been  despatched 
by  Washington,  in  compliance  with  an  order  of  Con 
gress,  to  intercept  in  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  two  brigan- 


256  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

tines,  which,  it  had  been  understood,  were  to  sail  from 
England  to  Quebec,  laden  with  arms  and  ammunition, 
and  without  convoy.  After  a  cruise  of  several  days,  the 
American  captains  discovered  no  such  vessels  ;  but  they 
committed  a  very  unjustifiable  act  in  making  a  descent 
on  the  island  of  St.  John's,  pillaging  the  defenceless  inha 
bitants,  and  bringing  away  some  of  them  prisoners. 
The  gentlemen  thus  brought  off,  among  whom  was  Mr. 
Callbeck,  presented  a  memorial  to  General  Washington, 
in  which  they  stated,  that  the  Governour's  house  and 
other  private  dwellings  were  broken  open,  and  robbed  of 
their  plate,  carpets,  curtains,  looking-glasses,  table-linen, 
wearing-apparel,  and  whatever  else  was  of  value,  and 
could  be  taken  away.  This  was  done  by  the  captains, 
of  course,  without  a  shadow  of  license  from  their  instruc 
tions,  though  apparently  rather  through  ignorance  of  the 
customary  rules  of  warfare,  than  by  any  conscious  viola 
tion  of  the  laws  of  equity  and  honour.  Such  conduct, 
however,  could  not  fail  to  excite  the  indignation  of  the 
Commander-in-chief,  and  he  released  the  captives  im 
mediately,  treating  them  with  all  possible  kindness  and 
respect.  Orders  were  given  for  restoring  the  goods,  which 
had  been  pillaged,  and  from  the  following  note,  written 
by  Mr.  Callbeck.  it  may  be  presumed  that  he  at  least 
was  satisfied.'5 

"  I  should  ill  deserve  the  generous  treatment,  which 
your  Excellency  has  been  pleased  to  show  me,  had  I  not 
gratitude  to  acknowledge  so  great  a  favour.  I  cannot 
ascribe  any  part  of  it  to  my  own  merit,  but  must  impute 
the  whole  to  the  philanthropy  and  humane  disposi 
tion  that  so  truly  characterize  General  Washington. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  257 

Be  so  obliging,  therefore,  as  to  accept  the  only  return  in 
my  power,  that  of  my  most  grateful  thanks. 

On  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the  British  army,  in 
March,  1770.  General  Washington  issued  a  proclama 
tion,  containing,  among  other  injunctions  to  his  troops, 
the  following : 

<{  All  officers  and  soldiers  are  hereby  ordered  to  live  in 
the  strictest  peace  and  amity  with  the  inhabitants  ;  (of 
Boston.)  and  no  inhabitant,  or  other  person,  employed  in 
his  lawful  business  in  the  town,  is  to  be  molested  in  his 
person  or  property,  on  any  pretence  whatever. 

"  If  any  officer  or  soldier  shall  presume  to  strike, 
imprison,  or  otherwise  ill-treat,  any  of  the  inhabitants, 
he  may  depend  on  being  punished  with  the  utmost  se 
verity  ;  and  if  any  officer  or  soldier  shall  receive  any 
insult  from  any  of  the  inhabitants,  he  is  to  seek  redress 
in  a  legal  way,  and  no  other." 

In  the  following  August,  he  thus  addressed  from  the 
city  of  New- York,  the  New- York  Convention  : 

u  Gentlemen, 

"  I  am  favoured  with  yours  of  the  23d,  acquainting 
me  with  a  report  now  circulating,  <  that  if  the  American 
army  should  be  obliged  to  retreat  from  this  city,  any 
individual  may  set  it  on  fire.'  I  can  assure  you,  gentle, 
men,  that  this  report  is  not  founded  upon  the  least  au 
thority  from  me  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  am  so  sensible  of  the 
value  of  such  a  city,  and  the  consequences  of  its  destrucr 
tion  to  many  worthy  citizens  and  their  families,  that 
nothing  but  the  last  necessity,  and  that,  such  as  should 
justify  me  to  the  whole  world,  would  induce  me  to  give 
orders  to  that  purpose. 


22* 


258  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"As  my  views,  with  regard  to  the  removal  of  the  women 
and  childern,  have  happily  coincided  with  your  senti 
ments,  and  a  committee  has  been  appointed  to  carry 
them  into  execution,  I  submit  it  to  your  judgment? 
whether  it  would  not  be  proper  for  the  Committee  to  meet 
immediately  in  this  city,  and  give  notice  of  their  attend 
ance  on  this  business.  There  are  many  who  anxiously 
wish  to  remove,  but  have  not  the  means." 

In  January,  1777,  he  wrote  to  Lord  Howe,  the  Brit 
ish  Commander,  expostulating  with  him  on  his  treat 
ment  of  American  prisoners : 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  am  under  the  disagreeable  neces 
sity  of  troubling  your  Lordship  with  a  letter,  almost 
wholly  on  the  subject  of  the  cruel  treatment  which 
our  officers  and  men,  in  the  naval  department,  who 
are  unhappy  enough  to  fall  into  your  hands,  receive 
on  board  the  prison-ships  in  the  harbour  of  New- York. 
******** 

"From  the  opinion  I  have  ever  been  taught  to 
entertain  of  your  Lordship's  humanity,  I  will  not  sup 
pose  that  you  are  privy  to  proceedings  of  so  cruel 
and  unjustifiable  a  nature;  and  I  hope  that,  upon 
making  the  proper  inquiry,  you  will  have  the  matter 
so  regulated,  that  the  unhappy  persons  whose  lot  is 
captivity,  may  not  in  future,  have  the  miseries  of  cold, 
disease,  and  famine,  added  to  their  other  misfortunes. 
You  may  call  us  rebels,  and  say  that  we  deserve  no 
better  treatment ;  but  remember,  my  Lord  that,  sup 
posing  us  rebels,  we  still  have  feelings  equally  as  keen 
and  sensible  as  loyalists,  and  will,  if  forced  to  it,  most 
assuredly  retaliate  upon  those,  upon  whom  we  look  as 
the  unjust  invaders  of  our  rights,  liberties,  and  pro- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  259 

perties.  I  should  not  have  said  thus  much,  but  my 
injured  countrymen  have  long  called  upon  me  to  en 
deavour  to  obtain  a  redress  of  their  grievances ;  and  I 
should  think  myself  as  culpable  as  those  who  inflict 
such  severities  upon  them,  were  I  to  continue  silent." 

Passing  over  other  proofs,  equally  strong,  of  the  sen 
sibility  with  which  the  Commander-in-chief  sympa 
thized  in  the  distresses  of  his  friends,  and  even  of  his  ene 
mies,  we  come  to  the  consideration  of  two  occurrences 
of  unusual  interest,  to  which  the  Revolutionary  War  gave 
birth,  and  on  which  have  been  founded  charges  against 
his  humanity,  which  some  may  still  be  disposed  to  regard 
as  well  supported.  The  allusion  is  to  the  cases  of  Major 
Andre  and  Captain  Asgill,  both  distinguished  in  the 
British  Army,  for  their  high  respectability  and  good 
conduct. 

In  regard  to  the  first  of  these  individuals,  his  history 
is  so  interwoven  with  the  memorable  apostacy  and  ag 
gravated  treason  of  Benedict  Arnold,  that  the  same  is 
familiar,  in  its  material  features  at  least,  to  the  most  of 
our  countrymen.  It  is  known  that  he  was  a  Major  by 
commission  and  Adjutant-General  to  the  British  Army— 
that  he  was  a  brave  officer,  and  an  accomplished  man  ; 
and  that,  aft^r  an  interview  with  Arnold,  held  within  the 
American  lines,  in  reference  to  the  surrender  of  West 
Point,  he  was,  on  his  return  to  New- York,  taken  pri 
soner  by  three  of  our  soldiers  ;  soon  after  which  he  was 
tried  by  a  court-martial,  condemned,  and  hung  as 
a  spy. 

The  propriety  of  treating  Major  Andre  as  a  spy,  was 
warmly  contested  at  the  time,  by  his  friends  in  the  Brit- 


260  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

ish  army.  They  maintained  that  he  went  under  the 
protection  of  a  flag,  to  meet  General  Arnold  without  the 
American  lines ;  and  that  his  being  within  those  lines 
was  accidental,  and  against  his  inclination  ;  the  persua 
sion  of  Arnold  having  effected  it.  General  Washington, 
therefore,  was  accused  of  injustice  and  cruelty,  in  signing 
the  death-warrant  of  a  man  so  respectable  as  Major 
Andre,  and  who  was  more  unfortunate  than  guilty. 
Whatever  impression  these  charges  may  have  made  in 
their  day,  upon  the  humane  and  sympathetic,  whether 
in  England  or  in  this  country,  wre  doubt  not,  but  that 
time  and  reflection  have  dissipated  any  unfavourable 
thoughts  which  may  once  have  existed.  A  brief  account 
of  the  circumstances  will,  notwithstanding,  be  given 
here,  as  supplied  us  by  the  most  authentic  documents, 
in  order  to  evince,  that  no  alternative  was  left,  from  the 
nature  of  the  case,  but  the  rigid  exercise  of  justice. 

The  following  letter,  announcing  the  perfidy  of  Ar 
nold,  and  the  capture  of  Major  Andre,  wras  written  by 
Gen.  Washington  to  the  President  of  Congress. 

<:  ROBINSON'S  HOUSE,  September  26th,  1780. 

"Sir, 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  inform  Congress,  that  I  arrived 
here  yesterday,  about  twelve  o'clock,  on  my  return  from 
Hartford.  Some  hours  previous  to  my  arrival,  Major- 
General  Arnold  went  from  his  quarters,  which  were  at 
this  place,  as  it  was  supposed  over  the  river  to  the  gar 
rison  at  West  Point ;  whither  I  proceeded  myself,  in 
order  to  visit  the  post.  I  found  General  Arnold  had  not 
been  there  during  the  day.  and  on  my  return  to  his 
quarters  he  was  still  absent.  In  the  mean  time  a  packet 
had  arrived  from  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jameson,  announc 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  261 

ing  the  capture  of  a  John  Anderson,  who  was  endeav 
ouring  to  go  to  New- York,  with  several  interesting  and 
important  papers,  all  in  the  handwriting  of  General 
Arnold.  This  was  also  accompanied  with  a  letter  from 
the  prisoner,  avowing  himself  to  be  Major  John  Andiv, 
Adjutant-General  to  the  British  army,  relating  the  man 
ner  of  his  capture,  and  endeavouring  to  show  that  he 
did  not  come  under  the  description  of  a  spy.  From  the 
several  circumstances,  and  information  that  the  General 
seemed  to  be  thrown  into  some  degree  of  agitation  on 
receiving  a  letter,  a  little  time  before  he  went  down  from 
his  quarters,  I  was  led  to  conclude  immediately,  that  he 
had  heard  of  Major  Andre's  captivity,  and  that  he  would 
if  possible  escape  to  the  enemy  ;  and  I  accordingly  took 
such  measures,  as  appeared  the  most  probable  to  appre 
hend  him.  But  he  had  embarked  in  a  barge,  and  pro 
ceeded  down  the  river  under  a  flag  to  the  Vulture  sloop- 
of-war,  which  lay  some  miles  below  Stony  and  Ver- 
plank's  Points.  After  he  got  on  board  he  wrote  to  me 
a  letter,  of  which  the  enclosed  is  a  copy. 

"  Major  Andre  is  not  arrived  yet,  but  I  hope  he  is 
secure,  and  that  he  will  be  here  to-day.  I  have  been 
and  am  taking  proper  precautions,  which  I  trust  will 
prove  effectual,  to  prevent  the  important  consequences, 
which  this  conduct,  on  the  part  of  General  Arnold,  was 
intended  to  produce  I  do  not  know  the  party  that 
took  Major  Andre,  but  it  is  said  to  have  consisted 
only  of  militia,  who  acted  in  such  a  manner,  as  does 
them  the  highest  honour,  and  proves  them  to  be  men  of 
great  virtue.  They  were  offered,  I  am  informed,  a 
large  sum  of  money  for  his  release,  and  as  many  goods 
as  they  would  demand,  but  without  any  effect," 


262  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

Major  Andre  was  taken  prisoner,  near  Tarry  town,  on 
the  morning  of  the  23d  of  September,  and  carried  back 
to  the  nearest  American  post  at  North-Castle.  On  the 
24th  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  General  Wash 
ington  : 

«  Sir, 

"  What  I  have  as  yet  said  concerning  myself,  was  in 
the  justifiable  attempt  to  be  extricated ;  I  am  too  little 
accustomed  to  duplicity  to  have  succeeded. 

"  I  beg  your  Excellency  will  be  persuaded,  that  no  al 
teration  in  the  temper  of  my  mind,  or  apprehension  for 
my  safety,  induces  me  to  take  the  step  of  addressing  you, 
but  that  it  is  to  rescue  myself  from  an  imputation  of  hav 
ing  assumed  a  mean  character  for  treacherous  purposes 
or  self-interest ;  a  conduct  incompatible  with  the  prin 
ciples  that  actuate  me,  as  well  as  with  my  condition  in 
life. 

tl  It  is  to  vindicate  my  fame  that  I  speak,  and  not  to 
solicit  security. 

"  The  person  in  your  possession  is  Major  John  Andre1, 
Adjutant-General  to  the  British  army. 

"  The  influence  of  one  Commander  in  the  army  of 
his  adversary,  is  an  advantage  taken  in  war.  A  cor 
respondence  for  this  purpose  I  held  ;  as  confidential,  (in 
the  present  instance,)  with  his  Excellency  Sir  Henry 
Clinton. 

"  To  favour  it.  I  agreed  to  meet  upon  ground  not 
within  the  posts  of  either  army,  a  person  who  was  to 
give  me  intelligence  ;  I  came  up  in  the  Vulture  man-of- 
war  for  this  effect,  and  was  fetched  by  a  boat  from  the 
ship  to  the  beach.  Being  there,  I  was  told  that  the  ap 
proach  of  day  would  prevent  my  return,  and  that  I  must 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON. 


263 


be  concealed  until  the  next  night.     I  was  in  my  regi 
mentals,  and  had  fairly  risked  my  person. 

Against  my  stipulation,  my  intention,  and  without  my 
knowledge  before  hand,  I  way  conducted  within  one  of 
your  posts.  Your  Excellency  may  conceive  my  sensa 
tion  on  the  occasion,  and  will  imagine  how  much  more 
must  I  have  been  afFocted  by  a  refusal  to  reconduct  me 
back  the  next  night,  as  I  had  been  brought.  Thus  be 
come  a  prisoner,  I  had  to  concert  my  escape.  I  quitted 
my  uniform,  and  was  passed  another  way  in  the  night, 
without  the  American  posts,  to  neutral  ground,  and  in 
formed  I  was  beyond  all  armed  parties  and  left  to  press 
for  New- York.  I  was  taken  at  Tarrytown  by  some  vo 
lunteers. 

"  Thus,  as  I  have  had  the  honour  to  relate,  was  I  be 
trayed  (being  Adjutant-General  of  the  British  army) into 
the  vile  condition  of  an  enemy  in  disguise,  within  your 
posts. 

"  Having  avowed  myself  a  British  officer,  I  have  no 
thing  to  reveal  but  what  relates  to  myself,  which  is  true, 
on  the  honour  of  an  officer  and  a  gentleman. 

"  The  request  I  have  to  make  to  your  Excellency,  and 
I  am  conscious  1  address  myself  well,  is,  that  in  any 
rigour  policy  may  dictate,  a  decency  of  conduct  towards 
me  may  mark,  that  though  unfortunate  I  am  branded 
with  nothing  dishonourable,  as  no  motive  could  be  mine 
but  the  service  of  my  king,  and  as  I  was,  involuntarily, 
an  impostor. 

"  Another  request  is,  that  I  may  be  permitted  to  write 
an  open  letter  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  another  to  a 
friend  for  clothes  and  linen. 

"  I  take  the  liberty  to  mention  the  condition  of  some 


264  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

gentlemen  at  Charlestown,  who,  being  either  on  parole^ 
or  under  protection,  were  engaged  in  a  conspiracy 
against  us.  Though  their  situation  is  not  similar,  they 
are  objects  who  may  be  set  in  exchange  for  me,  or  are 
persons  whom  the  treatment  I  receive  might  affect. 

"  It  is  no  less,  sir,  in  a  confidence  of  the  generosity  of 
your  mind,  than  on  account  of  your  superior  station,  that 
I  have  chosen  to  importune  you  with  this  letter.  I  have 
the  honour  to  be,  with  great  respect,  Sir,  your  Excel 
lency's  most  obedient  humble  servant. 

"JoriN  ANDRE,  Adjutant-General.'' 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  September, 
that  Arnold  became  apprized  of  the  capture  of  Andre. 
As  soon  as  it  was  known  to  him,  he  left  his  house  in 
great  haste,  entered  a  boat,  and  in  a  short  time  reached 
the  Vulture  man-of-war  in  safety.  From  this  vessel  he 
wrote  the  following  letter  to  Gen.  Washington  dated  the 
same  day. 

"  Sir,  The  heart  which  is  conscious  of  its  own  recti 
tude,  cannot  attempt  to  palliate  a  step,  which  the  world 
may  censure  as  wrong ;  I  have  ever  acted  from  a  prin 
ciple  of  love  to  my  country,  since  the  commencement  of 
the  present  unhappy  contest  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  Colonies  ;  the  same  principle  of  love  to  my  country 
actuates  my  present  conduct,  however  it  may  appear  in 
consistent  to  the  world,  who  very  seldom  judge  right  of 
any  man's  actions. 

"  I  have  no  favour  to  ask  for  myself.  I  have  too  often 
experienced  the  ingratitude  of  my  country  to  attempt  it ; 
but  from  the  known  humanity  of  your  Excellency,  I 
am  induced  to  ask  your  protection  for  Mrs.  Arnold  from 
every  insult  and  injury  that  a  mistaken  vengeance  of 


CHARACTER    OF   WASHINGTON.  265 

my  country  may  expose  her  to.  It  ought  to  fall  only  on 
me  :  she  is  as  good  and  as  innocent  as  an  angel,  and  is 
incapable  of  doing  wrong.  I  beg  she  may  be  permitted 
to  return  to  her  friends  in  Philadelphia,  or  to  come  to 
me,  as  she  may  choose  ;  from  your  Excellency,  I  have 
no  fears  on  her  account,  but  she  may  suffer  from  the 
mistaken  fury  of  the  country. 

#****** 

On  the  next  day,  the  26th,  Andre  was  brought  to 
West  Point,  under  an  escort  of  dragoons.  He  remained 
there  till  the  28th.  In  the  mean  time,  General  Wash 
ington  wrote  to  General  Greene,  who  was  at  Tappan, 
the  head-quarters  of  the  army,  under  date  of  "  Robin 
son's  House,  27th  September,  1780:  — 

"  Dear  sir, 

"  I  have  concluded  to  send  to  camp  to-morrow,  Major 
Andre  of  the  British  army,  and  Mr.  Joshua  H.  Smith, 
who  has  had  a  great  hand  in  carrying  on  the  business 
between  him  and  Arnold.  They  will  be  under  an  escort 
of  horse,  and  I  wish  you  to  have  separate  houses  in 
camp  ready  for  their  reception,  in  which  they  may  be 
kept  perfectly  secure ;  and  also  strong,  trusty  guards, 
trebly  officered,  that  a  part  may  be  constantly  in  the 
room  with  them.  They  have  not  been  permitted  to  be 
together,  and  must  be  still  kept  apart.  I  would  wish  the 
room  for  Mr.  Andre  to  be  a  decent  one,  and  that  he  may 
be  treated  with  civility  ;  but  that  he  may  be  so  guarded 
as  to  preclude  a  possibility  of  his  escaping,  which  he 
will  certainly  attempt  to  effect,  if  it  shall  seem  practi 
cable  in  the  most  distant  degree.  Smith  must  also  be 
c  irefully  secured,  and  not  treated  with  asperity.  I  in 
tend  to  return  to-morrow  morning,  and  hope  to  have  the 

23 


266  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

pleasure  of  seeing  you  in  the  course  of  the  day.  You 
may  keep  these  several  matters  secret." 

On  the  28th  Major  Andre  was  sent  to  Tappan,  and  on 
the  next  day,  the  29th,  he  sent  the  following  letter,  by 
permission  of  General  Washington,  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 
Its  date  was,  "  Tappan,  29th  September,  1780. 

»  Sir, 

li  Your  Excellency  is  doubtless  already  apprised  of  the 
manner  in  which  I  was  taken,  and  possibly  of  the  serious 
light  in  which  my  conduct  is  considered,  and  the  rigour- 
ous  determination  that  is  impending. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  I  have  obtained  General 
Washington's  permission  to  send  you  this  letter  ;  the  ob 
ject  of  which  is,  to  remove  from  your  breast  any  suspicion, 
that  I  could  imagine  I  was  bound  by  your  Excellency's 
orders,  to  expose  myself  to  what  has  happened.  The 
events  of  coming  within  an  enemy's  posts,  and  of  chang 
ing  my  dress,  which  led  me  to  my  present  situation,  were 
contrary  to  my  own  intentions,  as  they  were  to  your 
orders  ;  and  the  circuitous  route,  was  imposed,  (perhaps 
unavoidably,)  without  alternative  upon  me. 

"  1  am  perfectly  tranquil  in  mind,  and  prepared  for 
any  fate,  to  which  an  honest  zeal  for  my  King's  service 
may  have  devoted  me. 

"  In  addressing  myself  to  your  Excellency  on  this 
occasion,  the  force  of  all  my  obligations  to  you,  and  of 
the  attachment  and  gratitude  I  bear  you,  recurs  to  me. 
With  all  the  warmth  of  my  heart,  I  give  you  thanks  for 
your  Excellency's  profuse  kindness  to  me ;  and  I  send 
you  the  most  earnest  wishes  for  your  welfare,  which  a 
faithful,  affectionate,  and  respectful  attendant  can  frame. 

"I  have  a  mother   and  three   sisters,  to  whom  the 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  267 

value  of  my  commission  would  be  an  object,  as  the  loss 
of  Grenada  has  much  affected  their  income.  It  is  need 
less  to  be  more  explicit  on  this  subject ;  I  am  persuaded 
of  your  Excellency's  goodness. 

"  I  receive  the  greatest  attention  from  his  Excellency 
General  Washington,  and  from  every  person  under 
whose  charge  1  happen  to  be  placed.  I  have  the  honour 
to  be,  with  the  most  respectful  attachment,  your  Excel 
lency's  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

"JOHN  ANDRE,  Adjutant-General." 

According  to  the  intimation  contained  in  his  letter  to 
General  Greene,  General  Washington  returned  to  Tap- 
pan  on  the  28th,  and  the  next  day  addressed  a  letter 
to  the  Board  of  General  Officers,  appointed  to  investigate 
the  charges  against  Major  Andre.  The  Board  was 
composed  of  Fourteen  officers — General  Greene  being 
President  of  the  Board.  The  letter  of  General  Wash 
ington  was  in  the  following  words  : — 

«  TAPPAN,  29th  Sept.  1780. 

"  Gentlemen, 

"  Major  Andre,  Adjutant-General  to  the  British  army, 
will  be  brought  before  you  for  your  examination.  He 
came  within  our  lines  in  the  night,  on  an  interview 
with  Major-  General  Arnold,  and  in  an  assumed  charac 
ter,  and  was  taken  within  our  lines  in  a  disguised  habit, 
with  a  pass,  under  a  feigned  name,  and  with  the  enclosed 
papers  concealed  upon  him.  After  a  careful  examina 
tion,  you  will  be  pleased,  as  speedily  as  possible,  to  report 
a  precise  state  of  his  case,  together  with  your  opinion  of 
the  light  in  which  he  ought  to  be  considered,  and  the 
punishment  that  ought  to  be  inflicted.  The  judge- 
advocate  will  attend  to  assist  in  the  examination,  who 


268  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

has  sundry  other  papers  relative  to  this  matter,  which  he 
will  lay  before  the  Board.  I  have  the  honour  to  be, "  &c. 

The  Board  assembled  the  same  day,  and  Major 
Andre  was  brought  before  them.  Besides  his  personal 
examination,  he  submitted  a  short  statement  of  his  case 
in  writing.  The  Paper  presented  by  him  was  to  the 
following  effect  :— 

"  On  the  20th  of  September  I  left  New- York  to  get  on 
board  the  Vulture,  in  order,  (as  I  thought)  to  meet  Ge 
neral  Arnold  there  in  the  night.  No  boat,  however, 
came  off,  and  I  waited  on  board  until  the  night  of 
the  21st.  During  the  day,  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  from 
the  Vulture,  to  complain  of  the  violation  of  a  military 
rule  in  the  instance  of  a  boat  having  been  decoyed  on 
shore  by  a  flag,  and  fired  upon.  The  letter  was  address 
ed  to  General  Arnold,  signed  by  Captain  Sutherland, 
but  written  in  my  hand  arid  countersigned  'J  Anderson, 
secretary. '  Its  intent  was  to  indicate  my  presence  on 
board  the  Vulture.  In  the  night  of  the  i^lst,  a  boat 

with  Mr. *  and  two  hands  came  on  board,  in  order 

to  fetch  Mr.  Anderson  on  shore,  and  if  too  late  to  bring 
me  back,  to  lodge  me  till  the  next  night  in  a  place  of 
safety.  I  went  into  the  boat,  landed,  and  spoke  with 
Arnold.  I  got  on  horseback  with  him  to  proceed  to 
[Smith's]  house,  and  in  the  way  passed  a  guard  I 
did  not  expect  to  see,  having  Sir  Henry  Clinton's 
directions  not  to  go  within  an  enemy's  post,  or  to  quit 
my  own  dress. 

"In  the  morning  A.  quitted  me,  having  himself 
made  me  put  the  papers  I  bore  between  my  stockings 

*  Joshua  H.  Smith. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  269 

and  feet.  Whilst  he  did  it,  he  expressed  a  wish  in  case 
of  any  accident  befalling  me,  that  they  should  be  destroy 
ed,  which  I  said  of  course  would  be  the  case,  as  when 
J  went  into  the  boat  I  should  have  them  tied  about 
with  a  string  and  a  stone.  Before  we  parted,  some 
mention  had  been  made  of  my  crossing  the  river,  and 
going  by  another  route  ;  but  I  objected  much  against 
it,  and  thought  it  was  settled  that  in  the  way  I  came, 
I  was  also  to  return. 

Mr. *  to  my  great  mortification,  persisted  in  his 

determination  of  carrying  me  by  the  other  route ;  and 
at  the  decline  of  the  sun,  I  set  out  on  horseback, 
passed  King's  Ferry,  and  came  to  Crompond,  where  a 
party  of  militia  stopped  us,  and  advised  we  should 
remain.  In  the  morning  I  came  with  [Smith]  as  far 
as  within  two  miles  and  a  half  of  Pine's  Bridge,  where 
he  said  he  must  part  with  me,  as  the  Cow-boys  in 
fested  the  road  thenceforward.  I  was  now  near  thirty 
miles  from  Kingsbridge,  and  left  to  the  chance  of  pass 
ing  that  space  undiscovered.  I  got  to  the  neighbourhood 
of  Tarrytown,  which  was  far  beyond  the  points  describ 
ed  as  dangerous,  when  I  was  taken  by  three  volun 
teers,  who  not  satisfied  with  my  pass,  rifled  me,  and, 
finding  papers,  made  me  a  prisoner. 

;'I  have  omitted  mentioning  that,  when  I  found 
myself  within  an  enemy's  posts,  I  changed  my  dress." 

Several  papers  were  laid  before  the  Board  by  the  judge- 
advocate,  and  shown  to  Major  Andre,  who  confessed  that 
they  were  found  on  him  when  he  was  taken,  and  said 
they  were  concealed  in  his  boot,  except  the  pass.  These 
papers  contained  information  concerning  the  state  of 

*  Joshua  H.  Smith. 

23* 


270  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

West  Point,  and  were  addressed  in  Arnold's  hand-writing 
to  the  Commander-in-chief  of  the  British  army. 

The  Board  interrogated  Major  Andre  about  his  con 
ception  of  his  coming  on  shore  under  the  sanction  of  a 
flag.  He  said,  "  That  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  sup 
pose  he  came  on  shore  under  that  sanction ;"  and  added, 
"  That  if  he  came  on  shore  under  that  sanction,  he 
certainly  might  have  returned  under  it.  " 

Major  Andre  having  acknowledged  the  preceding 
facts,  and  being  asked  whether  he  had  any  thing  to  say 
respecting  them,  answered — "that  he  left  them  to  ope 
rate  with  the  Board. " 

The  examination  being  concluded,  the  prisoner  was 
remanded  into  custody. 

On  the  same  day  the  Board  made  the  following  Re 
port  to  General  Washington  : — 

<;  The  Board  having  considered  the  letter  from  his 
Excellency  General  Washington,  respecting  Major  An 
dre,  Adjutant-General  to  the  British  army— the  confession 
of  Major  Andre,  and  the  papers  produced  to  them,  Re 
port  to  his  Excellency,  the  Commander-in-Chief,  the 
following  facts,  which  appear  to  them  relative  to  Major 
Andre. 

"  First,  That  he  came  on  shore  from  the  Vulture  sloop 
of  war  in  the  night  of  the  21st  of  September  instant,  on 
an  interview  with  General  Arnold,  in  a  private  and 
secret  manner. 

"Secondly,  That  he  changed  his  dress  within  our 
lines  ;  and  under  a  feigned  name,  and  in  a  disguised 
habit,  passed  our  works  at  Stoney  and  Verplank's  Points, 
the  evening  of  the  22d  September  instant,  and  was  taken 
the  morning  of  the  23d  of  Sept.  instant,  at  Tarrytown, 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  271 

in  a  disguised  habit,  being  then  on  his  way  to  New- York: 
and  when  taken,  he  had  in  his  possession  several  pa 
pers,  which  contained  intelligence  for  the  enemy. 

"  The  Board  having  maturely  considered  these  facts, 
do  also  Report  to  his  Excellency  General  Washington, 
that  Major  Andre,  Adjutant-General  to  the  British  army, 
ought  to  be  considered  as  a  spy  from  the  enemy,  and 
that,  agreeably  to  the  law  and  usage  of  nations,  it  is 
their  opinion,  he  ought  to  suffer  death. " 

This  Report  was  signed  by  the  whole  Board,  of  which, 
as  we  have  mentioned,  General  Greene  was  President, 
the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette  and  the  Baron  de  Steuben, 
members. 

The  decision,  approved  as  it  was  by  the  Commander- 
in-chief,  was  to  have  been  put  in  execution  on  the  1st 
day  of  October.  But  the  British  Commander  wishing 
to  have  a  conference  with  him,  in  regard  to  the  justice 
and  propriety  of  the  sentence,  the  event  was  postponed 
until  the  2d  day  of  October.  On  that  day,  at  12  o'clock, 
the  conference  having  failed  to  produce  any  change  in 
the  mind  of  General  Washington,  the  determination  of 
the  court  was  carried  into  effect. 

On  the  day  first  appointed  for  his  execution,  Major 
Andre  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Gen.  Washington : — 

'<  Sir  ;  Buoyed  above  the  terror  of  death,  by  the  con 
sciousness  of  a  life  devoted  to  honourable  pursuits,  and 
stained  with  no  action  that  can  give  me  remorse,  I  trust 
that  the  request  I  make  to  your  Excellency,  at  this  seri 
ous  period,  and  which  is  to  soften  my  last  moments, 
will  not  be  rejected. 

"Sympathy    towards   a   soldier   will  surely    induce 


272  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

your  excellency,  and  a  military  tribunal,  to  adapt  the 
mode  of  my  death  to  the  feelings  of  a  man  of  honour. 

'•'  Let  me  hope,  sir,  that  if  aught  in  my  character  im 
presses  you  with  esteem  towards  me,  if  aught  in  my  mis 
fortunes  marks  me  as  the  victim  of  policy,  and  not  of  re 
sentment,  I  shall  experience  the  operation  of  these  feel 
ings  in  your  breast,  by  being  informed  that  I  am  not  to 
die  on  a  gibbet.  I  have  the  honour  to  be,"  &c. 

This  request  was  duly  considered  by  the  Commander- 
in  chief  and  his  principal  officers  ;  but,  taking  into  view 
the  nature  of  the  offence,  the  peculiar  circumstances  at 
tending  it,  the  invariable  rules  of  war,  and  the  usage  of 
nations,  Washington  could  not  consistently  with  his 
sense  of  duty,  grant  an  indulgence,  which  might  seem  to 
imply  any  doubt  in  his  mind  of  the  entire  justice  of  the 
sentence,  however  strongly  he  might  be  moved  by  his  well 
known  feelings  of  humanity,  and  his  respect  for  the  char 
acter  of  the  sufferer.  Andre  was  condemned  as  a  spy, 
and  hanged  as  such,  at  twelve  o'clock  on  the  2d  of  Oc 
tober. 

The  following  narrative  from  the  elegant  pen  of  Gene 
ral  Hamilton,  is  here  inserted,  as  giving  the  fullest  and 
most  faithful  account  of  this  whole  matter,  which  has 
ever  been  submitted  to  the  public.  Ii  was  written  short 
ly  after  the  events  so  feelingly  recorded  by  him.  He  was 
at  this  time  aid-de-camp  to  General  Washington. 

"  Since  my  return  from  Hartford,  my  dear  friend,  my 
mind  has  been  too  little  at  ease  to  permit  me  to  write  to 
you  sooner.  It  has  been  wholly  occupied  by  the  inci 
dents,  and  the  tragic  consequences,  of  Arnold's  treason. 
My  feelings  never  were  put  to  so  severe  a  trial.  You 
will  no  doubt  have  heard  the  principal  facts,  before  this 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  273 

reaches  you ;  but  there  are  particulars,  to  which  my 
situation  gave  me  access,  that  cannot  have  come  to  your 
knowledge  from  public  report,  which  I  am  persuaded  you 
will  find  interesting. 

11  From  several  circumstances,  the  project  seems  to 
have  originated  with  Arnold  himself,  and  to  have 
been  long  premeditated.  The  first  overture  is  traced 
ed  back  to  some  time  in  June  last.  It  was  conveyed  in 
a  letter  to  Colonel  Robinson,  the  substance  of  which  was, 
that  the  ingratitude  he  had  experienced  from  his  country, 
concurring  with  other  causes,  had  entirely  changed  his 
principles  :  that  he  now  only  sought  to  restore  himself  to 
the  favour  of  his  King,  by  some  signal  proof  of  his  re 
pentance  ;  and  would  be  happy  to  open  a  correspond 
ence  with  Sir  Hemy  Clinton  for  that  purpose.  About 
this  period  he  made  a  journey  to  Connecticut ;  on  his 
return  from  which  to  Philadelphia,  he  solicited  the  com 
mand  of  West  Point,  alleging  that  the  effects  of  his 
wound  had  disqualified  him  for  the  active  duties  of  the 
field.  The  sacrifice  of  this  important  post  was  the  atone 
ment  he  intended  to  make.  General  Washington  hesi 
tated  the  less  to  gratify  an  officer  who  had  rendered 
such  eminent  services,  as  he  was  convinced  the  post 
might  be  safely  trusted  to  one  who  had  given  so  many 
distinguished  proofs  of  his  bravery.  In  the  beginning 
of  August,  he  joined  the  army,  and  renewed  his  applica 
tion.  The  enemy,  at  this  juncture,  had  embarked  the 
greatest  part  of  their  force  on  an  expedition  to  Rhode 
Island,  and  our  army  was  in  motion,  to  compel  them  to 
relinquish  the  enterprise,  or  to  attack  New- York  in  its 
weakened  state.  The  General  offered  Arnold  the  left 
wing  of  the  army,  which  lie  declined,  on  the  pretext 
already  mentioned  ;  but  not  without  visible  embarrass- 


274  EELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

ment.  He  certainly  might  have  executed  the  duties  of 
such  a  temporary  command,  and  it  was  expected  from 
his  enterprising  temper  that  he  would  gladly  have  em 
braced  so  splendid  an  opportunity.  But  he  did  not 
choose  to  be  diverted  a  moment  from  his  favourite  object; 
probably  from  an  apprehension  that  some  different  dis 
position  might  have  taken  place,  which  would  have  ex 
cluded  him.  The  extreme  solicitude  he  discovered  to 
get  possession  of  the  post,  would  have  led  to  a  suspicion 
of  the  treachery,  had  it  been  possible  from  his  past  con 
duct  to  have  supposed  him  capable  of  it. 

"  The  correspondence  thus  begun,  was  carried  on  be 
tween  Arnold  arid  Major  Andre,  Adjutant-General  of  the 
British  army,  in  behalf  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  under  feign 
ed  signatures,  and  a  mercantile  disguise.  In  an  inter 
cepted  letter  of  Arnold's,  which  lately  fell  into  our  hands, 
he  proposes  an  interview,  '  to  settle  the  risks  and  profits  of 
the  co-partnership  ;'  and  in  the  same  style  of  metaphor, 
intimates  an  expected  augmentation  of  the  garrison,  and 
speaks  of  it  as  the  means  of  extending  their  traffic.  It 
appears  by  another  letter,  that  An  Ire  was  to  have  met 
him  on  the  lines,  under  the  sanction  of  a  flag,  in  the 
character  of  Mr.  John  Anderson.  But  some  cause  or 
other,  not  known,  prevented  this  interview. 

"  The  twentieth  of  last  month,  Robinson  and  Andre 
went  up  the  river  in  the  Vulture  sloop  of  war.  Robinson 
sent  a  flag  to  Arnold,  with  two  letters,  one  to  General 
Putnam,  enclosed  in  another  to  h:mself,  requesting  an 
interview  with  Putnam,  or  in  his  absence  with  Arnold, 
to  adjust  some  private  concerns.  The  one  to  General 
Putnam  was  evidently  meant  as  a  cover  to  the  other, 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  275 

in  case,  by  accident,  the  letters  should  have  fallen  under 
the  inspection  of  a  third  person. 

<•'  General  Washington  crossed  the  river  on  his  way  to 
Hartford,  the  day  these  despatches  arrived.  Arnold, 
conceiving  he  must  have  heard  of  the  flag,  thought  it 
necessary,  for  the  sake  of  appearances,  to  submit  the  let 
ters  to  him,  and  ask  his  opinion  of  the  propriety  of  com 
plying  with  the  request.  The  General,  with  his  usual 
caution,  though  without  the  least  surmise  of  the  design, 
dissuaded  him  from  it,  and  advised  him  to  reply  to  Ro 
binson,  that  whatever  related  to  his  private  affairs  must 
be  of  a  civil  nature,  and  could  only  properly  be  addressed 
to  the  civil  authority.  This  reference  fortunately  de 
ranged  the  plan,  and  was  the  first  link  in  the  chain  of 
events  that  led  to  the  detection.  The  interview  could 
no  longer  take  place  in  the  form  of  a  flag,  but  was 
obliged  to  be  managed  in  a  secret  manner. 

"Arnold  employed  one  Smith  to  go  on  board  the 
Vulture  the  night  of  the  twenty-second,  to  bring  Andre 
on  shore  with  a  pass  for  Mr.  John  Anderson.  Andre 
came  ashore  accordingly,  and  was  conducted  within  a 
picket  of  ours  to  the  house  of  Smith,  where  Arnold  and 
he  remained  together  in  close  conference  all  that  night 
and  the  day  following.  At  day-light  in  the  morning, 
the  commanding  officer  at  King's  Ferry,  without  the  pri 
vity  of  Arnold,  moved  a  couple  of  pieces  of  cannon  to  a 
point  opposite  to  where  the  Vulture  lay,  and  obliged  her 
to  take  a  more  remote  siation.  This  event,  or  some 
lurking  distrust,  made  the  boatmen  refuse  to  carry  the 
two  passengers  back,  and  disconcerted  Arnold  so  much, 
that  by  one  of  those  strokes  of  infatuation  which  often 
confound  the  schemes  of  men  conscious  of  guilt,  he  in- 


276  RfiLIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

sisted  on  Andre's  exchanging  his  uniform  for  a  disguise^ 
and  returning  in  a  mode  different  from  that  in  which  he 
came.  Andre,  who  had  been  undesignedly  brought 
within  our  posts,  in'the  first  instance,  remonstrated  warm 
ly  against  this  new  and  dangerous  expedient.  But 
Arnold  persisting  in  declaring  it  impossible  for  him  to 
return  as  he  came,  he  at  length  reluctantly  yielded  to 
his  direction,  and  consented  to  change  his  dress,  and 
take  the  route  he  recommended.  Smith  furnished  the 
disguise,  and  in  the  evening  passed  King's  Ferry  with 
him,  and  proceeded  to  Crompond,  where  they  stopped  the 
remainder  of  the  night,  (at  the  instance  of  a  militia  offi 
cer,)  to  avoid  being  suspected  by  him.  The  next  morn 
ing  they  resumed  their  journey,  Smith  accompanying 
Andre  a  little  beyond  Pine's  Bridge,  where  he  left  him. 
He  had  reached  Tarrytown.  when  he  was  taken  up  by 
three  militia  men,  who  rushed  out  of  the  woods  and 
seized  his  horse.  At  this  critical  moment,  his  presence 
of  mind  forsook  him.  Instead  of  producing  his  pass, 
which  would  have  extricated  him  from  our  parties,  and 
could  have  done  him  no  harm  with  his  own,  he  asked 
the  militia  men  if  they  were  of  the  upper  or  lower  party, 
distinctive  appellations  known  among  the  refugee  corps. 
The  militia  men  replied,  they  were  of  the  lower  party  ; 
upon  which  he  told  them  he  was  a  British  officer,  and 
pressed  them  not  to  detain  him  as  he  was  upon  urging 
business.  This  confession  removed  all  doubt,  and  it  was 
in  vain  he  afterwards  produced  his  pass.  He  was  in 
stantly  forced  off  to  a  place  of  greater  security ;  where, 
after  a  careful  search,  there  were  found  concealed  in  the 
feet  of  his  stockings,  several  papers  of  importance,  de 
livered  to  him  by  Arnold.  Among  these  there  were  a 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  2"/7 

plan  of  the  fortifications  of  West  Point,  a  memorial  from 
the  engineer  on  the  attack  and  defence  of  the  place,  re- 
t  urns  of  the  garrison,  cannon,  and  stores,  and  a  copy  of  the 
minutes  of  a  council  of  war  held  by  General  Washington 
a  few  weeks  before.  The  prisoner  at  first  was  inadvert 
ently  ordered  to  Arnold  ;  but  on  recollection,  while  still 
on  the  way,  he  was  countermanded  and  sent  to  Old 
Salem. 

"  The  papers  were  enclosed  in  a  letter  to  General 
Washington,  which  having  taken  a  route  different  from 
that  by  which  he  returned,  made  a  circuit,  that  afforded 
leisure  for  another  letter,  through  an  ill-judged  delicacy 
written  to  Arnold,  with  information  of  Anderson's  cap 
ture,  to  get  to  him  an  hour  before  General  Washington 
arrived  at  his  quarters ;  time  enough  to  elude  the  fate 
that  awaited  him.  He  went  down  the  river  in  his  barge 
to  the  Vulture,  with  such  precipitate  confusion,  that  he 
did  not  take  with  him  a  single  paper  useful  to  the  enenw. 
On  the  first  notice  of  the  affair  he  was  pursued,  but  much 
too  late  to  be  overtaken. 

"  There  was  some  colour  for  imagining  it  was  a  part 
of  the  plan,  to  betray  the  General  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy :  Arnold  was  very  anxious  to  ascertain  from  him 
the  precise  day  of  his  return,  and  the  enemy's  move 
ments  seem  to  have  corresponded  to  this  point.  But 
if  it  was  really  the  case,  it  was  very  injudicious.  The 
success  must  have  depended  on  surprise ;  and  as  the 
officers  at  the  advanced  posts  were  not  in  the  secret, 
their  measures  might  have  given  the  alarm,  and  Gen 
eral  Washington  taking  the  command  of  the  post,  might 
have  rendered  the  whole  scheme  abortive.  Arnold,  it  is 
true,  had  so  dispersed  the  garrison  as  to  have  made  a 

24 


278  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

defence  difficult,  but  not  impracticable ;  and  the  acqui 
sition  of  West  Point  was  of  such  magnitude  to  the 
enemy,  that  it  would  have  been  unwise  to  connect 
with  it  any  other  object,  however  great,  which  might 
make  the  obtaining  of  it  precarious. 

"Arnold,  a  moment  before  his  setting  out,  went  into 
Mrs.  Arnold's  apartment,  and  informed  her  that  some 
transactions  had  just  come  to  light  which  must  forever 
banish  him  from  his  country.  She  fell  into  a  swoon  at 
this  declaration,  and  he  left  her  in  it  to  consult  his  own 
safety,  till  the  servants,  alarmed  by  her  cries,  came  to 
her  relief.  She  remained  frantic  all  day,  accusing  every 
one  who  approached  her  with  an  intention  to  murder  her 
child,  (an  infant  in  her  arms,)  and  exhibiting  every  other 
mark  of  the  most  genuine  and  agonizing  distress.  Ex 
hausted  by  the  fatigue  and  tumult  of  her  spirits,  her 
phrenzy  subsided  towrards  evening,  and  she  sunk  into 
all  the  sadness  of  affliction.  It  was  impossible  not  to 
have  been  touched  with  her  situation ;  every  thing 
affecting  in  female  tears,  or  in  the  misfortunes  of  beauty, 
every  thing  pathetic  in  the  wounded  tenderness  of  a 
wife,  or  in  the  apprehensive  fondness  of  a  mother,  and, 
till  I  have  reason  to  change  the  opinion,  I  will  add, 
every  thing  amiable  in  suffering  innocence,  conspired  to 
make  her  an  object  of  sympathy  to  all  who  were  present. 
She  experienced  the  most  delicate  attentions,  and  every 
friendly  office  till  her  departure  for  Philadelphia. 

"  Andre  was,  without  loss  of  time,  conducted  to  the 
head-quarters  of  the  army,  where  he  was  immediately 
brought  before  a  Board  of  General  Officers,  to  prevent  all 
possibility  of  misrepresentation  or  cavil  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON  279 

"  The  Board  reported,  that  he  ought  to  be  considered 
as  a  spy,  and  according  to  the  laws  and  usages  of 
nations,  to  suffer  death,  which  was  executed  two  days 
after.* 

"Never,  perhaps,  did  any  man  suffer  death  with 
more  justice,  or  deserve  it  less.  The  first  step  he  took 
after  his  capture,  was  to  write  a  letter  to  General  Wash 
ington,  conceived  in  terms  of  dignity  without  insolence, 
and  apology  without  meanness.  The  scope  of  it  was  to 
vindicate  himself  from  the  imputation  of  having  assumed 
a  mean  character,  for  treacherous  or  interested  purposes  J 
asserting  that  he  had  been  involuntarily  an  impostor ; 
that  contrary  to  his  intention,  which  was  to  meet  a 
person  for  intelligence  on  neutral  ground,  he  had  been 
betrayed  within  our  posts,  and  forced  into  the  vile  con 
dition  of  an  enemy  in  disguise ;  soliciting  only,  that  to 
whatever  rigour  policy  might  devote  him,  a  decency  of 
treatment  might  be  observed,  due  to  a  person  who,  though 
unfortunate,  had  been  guilty  of  nothing  dishonourable. 
His  request  was  granted  in  its  full  extent ;  for  in  the 
whole  progress  of  the  affair,  he  was  treated  with  the 
most  scrupulous  delicacy.  When  brought  before  the 
Board  of  Officers,  he  met  with  every  mark  of  indulgence) 
and  was  required  to  answer  no  interrogatory  which 
would  even  embarrass  his  feelings.  On  his  part,  while 
he  carefully  concealed  every  thing  that  might  implicate 
others,  he  frankly  confessed  all  the  facts  relating  to  him 
self;  and  upon  his  confession,  without  the  trouble  of 
examining  a  witness,  the  Board  made  their  report.  The 
members  were  not  more  impressed  with  the  candour  and 

*  He  was  executed  on  the  third  day.  The  sentence  was  pronounced 
on  the  29l'u  of  September,  and  put  in  execution  on  the  2d  of  October, 


230  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS   AND 

firmness,  mixed  with  a  becoming  sensibility  which  he 
displayed,  than  he  was  penetrated  with  their  liberality 
and  politeness.  He  acknowledged  the  generosity  of 
the  behaviour  towards  him  in  every  respect,  but  par 
ticularly  in  this,  in  the  strongest  terms  of  manly  grati 
tude.  In  a  conversation  with  a  gentleman  who  visited 
him  after  his  trial,  he  said,  he  flattered  himself  he  had 
never  been  illiberal ;  but  if  there  were  any  remains  of 
prejudice  in  his  mind,  his  present  experience  must  obli 
terate  them. 

'  In  one  of  the  visits  I  made  him,  (and  I  saw  him 
several  times  during  his  confinement.)  he  begged  me  to 
be  the  bearer  of  a  request  to  the  General,  for  permission 
to  send  an  open  letter  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  l  I  foresee 
my  fate/  said  he,  '  and  though  I  pretend  not  to  play  the 
hero,  or  to  be  indifferent  about  life,  yet  I  am  reconciled 
to  what  may  happen,  conscious  that  misfortune,  not 
guilt,  has  brought  it  upon  me.  There  is  only  one  thing 
that  disturbs  my  tranquillity.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  has 
been  too  good  to  me  ;  he  has  been  lavish  of  his  kindness ; 
I  am  bound  to  him  by  too  many  obligations,  and  love 
him  too  well  to  bear  the  thought  that  he  should  reproach 
himself,  or  others  should  reproach  him,  on  the  supposi 
tion  of  my  having  conceived  myself  obliged,  by  his  in 
structions,  to  run  the  risk  I  did.  I  would  not,  for  the 
world,  leave  a  sting  in  his  mind  that  should  embitter  his 
future  days.'  He  could  scarce  finish  the  sentence ; 
bursting  into  tears,  in  spite  of  his  efforts  to  suppress  them, 
and  with  difficulty  collected  himself  enough  afterwards 
to  add ,  '  I  wish  to  be  permitted  to  assure  him,  I  did  not 
act  under  this  impression,  but  submitted  to  a  necessity 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  281 

imposed  upon  me,  as  contrary  to  my  own  inclination,  as 
to  his  orders.'  His  request  was  readily  complied  with, 
and  he  wrote  the  letter  annexed,  with  which  I  dare  say 
you  will  be  as  much  pleased  as  I  am,  both  for  the  senti 
ment  and  diction. 

"  When  his  sentence  was  announced  to  him,  he  re 
marked,  that  since  it  was  his  lot  to  die,  there  was  still  a 
choice  in  the  mode,  which  would  make  a  material  differ 
ence  to  his  feelings  ;  and  he  would  be  happy,  if  possible, 
to  be  indulged  with  a  professional  death.  Ho  made  a 
second  application  by  letter,  in  concise  but  persuasive 
terms.  It  was  thought  this  indulgence,  being  incompati 
ble  with  the  customs  of  war,  could  not  be  granted  ;  and 
it  was,  therefore,  determined,  in  both  cases,  to  evade  an 
answer,  to  spare  him  the  sensations,  which  a  certain 
knowledge  of  the  intended  mode  would  inflict. 

"  In  going  to  the  place  of  execution,  he  bowed  fami 
liarly  as  he  went  along,  to  all  those  with  whom  he  had 
been  acquainted  in  his  confinement.  A  smile  of  com 
placency  expressed  the  serene  fortitude  of  his  soul.  Ar 
rived  at  the  fatal  spot,  he  asked  with  some  emotion, 
1  Must  I  then  die  in  this  manner  ? '  He  was  told  it  had 
been  unavoidable.  '  I  am  reconciled  to  my  fate,  (said 
he.)  but  not  to  the  mode.'  Soon,  however  recollecting 
himself,  he  added,  '  It  will  be  but  a  momentary  pang  ;' 
and  springing  upon  the  cart,  performed  the  last  oflices  to 
himself,  with  a  composure  that  excited  the  admiration 
and  melted  the  hearts  of  the  beholders.  Upon  being  told 
the  final  moment  was  at  hand,  and  asked  if  he  had  any 
thing  to  say,  he  answered,  '  Nothing,  but  to  request  you 
will  witness  to  the  world,  that  I  die  like  a  brave  man.' 
Among  the  extraordinary  circumstances  that  attended 

24* 


282  BELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

him,  in  the  midst  of  his  enemies  he  died  universally  re 
gretted,  and  universally  esteemed. 

"  There  was  something  singularly  interesting  in  the 
character  and  fortunes  of  Andre.  To  an  excellent  under 
standing  well  improved  by  education  and  travel,  he  united 
a  peculiar  elegance  of  mind  and  manners,  and  the  advan 
tage  of  a  pleasing  person.  It  is  said,  he  possessed  a  pretty 
taste  for  the  fine  arts,  and  had  himself  attained  some 
proficiency  in  poetry,  music,  and  painting.  His  know 
ledge  appeared  without  ostentation,  and  embellished  by 
a  diffidence  that  rarely  accompanies  so  many  talents  and 
accomplishments,  which  left  you  to  suppose  more  than 
appeared. 

"  His  sentiments  were  elevated,  and  inspired  esteem  : 
they  had  a  softness  that  conciliated  affection.  His  elo 
cution  was  handsome ;  his  address  easy,  polite,  and  in 
sinuating.  By  his  merit,  he  had  acquired  the  unlimited 
confidence  of  his  General,  and  was  making  a  rapid  pro 
gress  in  military  rank  and  reputation.  But  in  the  height 
of  his  career,  flushed  with  new  hopes  from  the  execu 
tion  of  a  project  the  most  beneficial  to  his  party  that 
could  be  devised,  he  was  at  once  precipitated  from  the 
summit  of  prosperity,  and  saw  all  the  expectations  of 
liis  ambition  blasted,  and  himself  ruined. 

"  The  character  I  have  given  of  him,  is  drawn  partly 
from  what  I  saw  of  him  myself,  and  partly  from  inform 
ation.  I  am  aware,  that  a  man  of  real  merit  is  never 
seen  in  so  favourable  a  light  as  through  the  medium  of 
adversity.  The  clouds  that  surround  him  are  shades 
that  set  off  his  good  qualities.  Misfortune  cuts  down  the 
little  vanities,  that  in  prosperous  times  serve  as  so  many 
spots  in  his  virtues,  and  gives  a  tone  of  humility  that 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  283 

makes  his  worth  more  amiable.  His  spectators,  who  en 
joy  a  happier  lot,  are  less  prone  to  detract  from  it  through 
envy  :  and  are  more  disposed  by  compassion  to  give  him 
the  credit  he  deserves,  and  perhaps  even  to  magnify  it. 

"  I  speak  not  of  Andre's  conduct  in  this  affair  as  a 
philosopher,  but  as  a  man  of  the  world.  The  author 
ized  maxims  and  practices  of  war,  are  the  satires  of 
human  nature.  They  countenance  almost  every  species 
of  seduction,  as  well  as  violence;  and  the  General  who 
can  make  most  traitors  in  the  army  of  his  adversary,  is 
frequently  most  applauded.  On  this  scale  we  acquit 
Andre,  while  we  would  not  but  condemn  him  if  we  were 
to  examine  his  conduct  by  the  sober  rules  of  philosophy 
and  moral  rectitude.  It  is,  however,  a  blemish  011  his 
fame,  that  he  once  intended  to  prostitude  a  flag  ; — about 
this,  a  man  of  nice  honour  ought  to  have  had  a  scruple ; 
but  the  temptation  was  great.  Let  his  misfortunes  cast 
a  veil  over  his  error. 

"  Several  letters  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  others, 
were  received  in  the  course  of  the  affair,  feebly  attempting 
to  prove  that  Andre  came  out  under  the  protection  of  a 
flag,  with  a  passport  from  a  general-officer  in  actual  ser 
vice  ;  and,  consequently,  could  not  be  justly  detained. 
Clinton  sent  a  deputation,  composed  of  Lieutenant-Ge- 
neral  Robinson,  Mr.  Elliot,  and  Mr.  William  Smith,  to 
represent,  as  he  said,  the  true  state  of  Major  Andre's  case. 
General  Greene  met  Robinson,  and  had  a  conversation 
with  him,  in  which  he  reiterated  the  pretence  of  a  flag, 
urged  Andre's  release  as  a  personal  favour  to  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  and  offered  any  friend  of  ours  in  their  power  in 
exchange.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  frivolous  than 
the  plea  which  was  used.  The  fact  was,  that  besides 


284  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

the  time,  manner,  object  of  the  interview,  change  of 
dress,  and  other  circumstances,  there  was  riot  a  single  for 
mality  customary  with  flags  ;  and  the  passport  was  not 
to  Major  Andre  but  to  Mr.  Anderson.  But  had  there 
been,  on  the  contrary,  all  the  formalities,  it  would  be 
an  abuse- of  language  to  say,  that  the  sanction  of  a  flag, 
for  currupting  an  officer  to  betray  his  trust,  ought  to  be 
respected.  So  unjustifiable  a  purpose  would  not  only 
destroy  its  validity,  but  make  it  an  aggravation. 

"  Andre  himself  has  answered  the  argument,  by  ri 
diculing  and  exploding  the  idea,  in  his  examination  be 
fore  the  Board  of  Officers.  It  was  a  weakness  to  urge  it. 

"  There  was,  in  truth,  no  way  of  saving  him.  Arnold 
or  he  must  have  been  the  victim  ;  the  former  was  out 
of  our  power. 

"  It  was  by  some  suspected,  Arnold  had  taken  his 
measures  in  such  a  manner,  that  if  the  interview  had 
been  discovered  in  the  act,  it  might  have  been  in  his 
power  to  sacrifice  Andre  to  his  own  security.  This  sur 
mise  of  double  treachery,  made  them  imagine  Clinton 
would  give  up  Arnold  for  Andre  ;  and  a  gentleman  took 
occasion  to  suggest  the  expedient  to  the  latter,  as  a  thing 
that  might  be  proposed  by  him.  He  declined  it.  The 
moment  he  had  been  capable  of  so  much  frailty,  I  should 
have  ceased  to  esteem  him." 

Extracts  from  a  few  of  the  letters  written  by  Wash 
ington,  in  reference  to  this  event,  will  be  here  added,  as 
in  some  measure  evincing  his  views  and  feelings  on  the 
subject. 

He  wrote  to  Count  De  Rochambeau  10th  October, 
1780: 

"  Your  Excellency  will  have  heard  of  the  execution 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON. 


285 


of  the  British  Adjutant-General.  The  circumstances, 
under  which  he  was  taken,  justified  it,  and  policy  required 
a  sacrifice  ;  but  as  he  was  more  unfortunate  than  crim 
inal,  and,  as  there  was  much  in  his  character  to  interest, 
while  we  yielded  to  the  necessity  of  rigour,  we  could  not 
but  lament  it." 

'•Writing  to  Col.  John  Laurens,  October  13th.  he 
says  :— 

'•  In  no  instance  since  the  commencement  of  the  war. 
has  the  interposition  of  Providence  appeared  more  re 
markably  conspicuous,  than  in  the  rescue  of  the  post  and 
garrison  of  West  Point,  from  Arnold's  villanous  perfidy. 
How  far  he  meant  to  involve  rne  in  the  catastrophe  of 
this  place,  does  not  appear  from  any  indubitable  evi 
dence  ;  and  I  am  rather  inclined  to  think  he  did  not 
wish  to  hazard  the  more  important  object  of  his  treach 
ery,  by  attempting  to  combine  two  events,  the  less  of 
which  might  have  marred  the  greater.  A  combination 
of  extraordinary  circumstances,  an  unaccountable  de 
privation  of  presence  of  mind  in  a  man  of  the  first  abi 
lities,  and  the  virtue  of  three  militia  men,  threw  the  Ad 
jutant-General  of  the  British  forces,  with  full  proof  of 
Arnold's  treachery,  into  our  hands.  But  for  the  egre 
gious  folly,  or  the  bewildered  conception  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel who  seemed  lost  in  astonishment,  and  not  to 

know  what  he  was  doing,  I  should  undoubtedly  have 
got  Arnold.  Andre  has  met  his  fate,  and  with  that  for 
titude  which  was  to  be  expected  from  an  accomplished 
man  and  gallant  officer,  but  I  am  mistaken  if,  at  this 
time,  'Arnold  is  not  undergoing  the  torment  of  a  mental 
hell.'  He  wants  feeling,"  &c. 


286  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

In  a  letter  to  President  Reed,  written  on  the  18th  of 
October,  he  says  : — 

"  Arnold's  conduct  is  so  villanously  perfidious,  that  there 
are  no  terms  which  can  describe  the  baseness  of  his  heart. 
That  overruling  Providence,  which  has  so  often  and  so 
remarkably  interposed  in  our  favour,  never  manifested 
itself  more  conspicuously  than  in  the  timely  discovery  of 
his  horrid  design  of  surrendering  the  post  and  garrison 
of  West  Point,  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  I  confine 
my  remarks  to  this  single  act  of  perfidy,  for  I  am  far 
from  thinking  he  intended  to  hazard  a  defeat  of  this  im 
portant  object,  by  combining  another  with  it,  although 
there  were  circumstances  which  led  to  a  contrary  belief. 
The  confidence  and  folly  which  have  marked  the  sub 
sequent  conduct  of  this  man,  are  of  a  piece  with  his 
villany ;  and  all  three  are  perfect  in  their  kind.  The  in 
terest  you  take  in  my  supposed  escape,  and  the  manner 
in  which  you  speak  of  it,  claim  my  thanks  as  much  as 
if  he  had  really  intended  to  involve  my  fate  with  that 
of  the  garrison,  and  I  consider  it  a  fresh  instance  of  your 
affectionate  regard  for  me." 

Such  were  the  circumstances  of  this  most  distressing 
case.  In  them  we  have  the  grounds  of  Major  Andre's 
condemnation,  and  the  means  of  forming  a  judgment 
in  relation  to  the  propriety  of  his  execution.  Major  An 
dre,  was,  in  the  first  place,  cordially  engaged  with  the 
rest  of  his  countrymen,  in  the  inhuman  undertaking, 
of  enslaving  the  people  of  these  United  States.  And  at 
this  time,  he  was  zealously  labouring  to  effect  an  object, 
which  would  have  been  most  serious  in  its  results  to  the 
American  cause,  and  in  its  accomplishment  involved  the 
necessity  of  concealment,  falsehood,  arid  treachery,  in 


CHARACTER  0?  WASHINGTON.  287 

those,  through  whom  it  should  be  effected.  He  was  ap 
prehended  under  circumstances  that  rendered  him  justly 
liable  to  death,  according  to  the  laws  and  usages  of  all 
nations.  He  did  not  indeed  intend  to  place  himself  in 
that  situation.  This  precaution,  reflects  credit  on  his 
prudence,  but  does  not  diminish  the  criminality  of  his 
conduct.  He  did  well  in  meditating  his  self-preservation, 
He  ought,  upon  the  principles  of  sound  morality,  to  have 
been  as  careful  not  to  injure  others.  Did  he  think  him 
self  engaged  in  a  just  war?  Then  he  differed  with 
some  of  the  wisest  and  best  men  of  his  own  country. 
No  !  personal  advantage,  honour  and  glory  were  before 
him,  and  it  was  the  inordinate  pursuit  of  these  that 
blinded  his  judgment,  and  at  length  brought  him  into  the 
snare  which  a  wonder-working  Providence  spread  for 
him,  and  in  which  he  was  finally  taken. 

There  cannot  be  a  doubt  but  that  the  motives  of  hu 
manity  strongly  plead  for  him.  But  there  are  critical 
times  in  the  affairs  of  nations,  as  of  individuals,  when 
it  is  necessary  to  have  a  regard  to  private  interests,  when 
there  is  no  sacrifice  of  principle.  In  the  case  under  con 
sideration  there  were  great  national  interests  at  stake. 
It  was  necessary  that  a  crime  so  monstrous  should  receive 
a  decisive  proof  of  public  detestation,  and  be  so  visited  by 
a  severe  penalty  that  similar  offences  might  be  prevented 
by  the  checks  of  a  salutary  terror.  Indulgence  would 
have  been  a  kindness  to  the  individual.  But  it  might 
have  been  a  dreadful  unkindness  to  multitudes.  The 
general  welfare  might  have  been  sacrificed  to  private 
good. 

The  complaints  of  British  writers  against  the  hu 
manity  of  Washington,  founded  on  this  act  of  rigid 


288  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

justice,  cannot  be  sustained.    The  merits  of  Andre's  case 
were  fairly  canvassed  by  a  Board  of  fourteen  General 
Officers,  who  were  unanimous  in  pronouncing  him  a 
spy,  and  worthy  of  death.     General  Washington  merely 
confirmed  their  sentence,  and  is  no  more  liable  to  censure; 
than  the  Judge  who  acquiesces  in  the  decision  of  a  Jury, 
and  pronounces  sentence  of  death  on  a  criminal,  in  con 
formity  with  their  verdict.     Could  he,  indeed,  have  dis 
creetly  incurred  the  responsibility  of  acting  in  opposition 
to  the  judgment  of  so  intelligent  and  respectable  a  body 
of  men  as  those  composing  the  board  ?     Could  he  have 
indulged   his  benevolent  sympathies  in  behalf  of  the 
prisoner,  when  the  dictates  of  justice  and  the  interests  of 
his  country  called  on  him  to  take  the  side  of  a  painful 
but  necessary  rigor  ?     We  dismiss  this  subject  with  the 
single  remark,  that  severity  may  sometimes  be  a  virtue, 
as  contributing  in  its  effects  to  the  good  of  the  whole. 
On  that  principle  the  Divine  Being  often  acts,  confess 
edly  swayed  by  a  perfect  benevolence  in  so  doing. 

Captain  Asgill,  whose  case  we  have  next  to  con 
sider,  was  a  young  British  officer,  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner  at  York-Town,  and  sent  to  York,  in  Pennsyl 
vania,  with  others  of  Lord  Cornwallis'  troops.  He  was 
the  only  son  of  Sir  Charles  Asgill,  and  a  highly  amiable 
youth.  In  consequence  of  a  horrid  murder  of  an  Ameri 
can  officer,  General  Washington,  with  the  advice  of 
his  general  officers,  had  resolved  on  retaliation.  And 
the  lot  fell  upon  this  young  man.  As  it  was  known  to 
be  the  unchangeable  purpose  of  the  Commander-in-chief 
to  carry  this  decision  into  execution,  he  was  charged 
with  cruelty  by  British  writers,  and  that  in  terms  of 
bitter  severity.  One  of  them,  remarking  on  the  letter  of 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  289 

Washington  to  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  in  which  he  repeats 
his  firm  determination  to  retaliate  in  the  case  of  Captain 
Asgill,  says,  that  it  is  "  stern  and  even  savage."  There 
"were  other  reflections  cast  upon  his  conduct,  more  courtly 
indeed  than  those  alluded  to,  but  clearly  impeaching  his 
humanity.  The  following  letters,  mainly  from  his  own 
pen,  will  fully  explain  the  origin  and  nature  of  the  case, 
with  the  motives  which  controlled  and  directed  his 
course  throughout. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1782,  he  wrote  from  head- 
quarters,  at  Newburgh,  to  the  General  and  Field  Officers 
of  the  Army,  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"  The  Commander-in-chief  submits  the  papers  accom 
panying  this,  containing  the  case  of  Captain  Joshua 
Huddy,  lately  hanged  within  the  county  of  Monmouth, 
in  New- Jersey  State,  by  a  party  of  the  enemy,  to  the 
consideration  of  the  general  officers  of  brigades  and 
regiments,  and  thereupon  requests  of  them,  separately 
and  in  writing,  a  direct  and  laconic  reply  to  the  follow 
ing  queries. 

(:  c  1.  Upon  the  state  of  facts  in  the  above  case,  is  reta 
liation  justifiable  and  expedient? 

"  c  2.  If  justifiable,  ought  it  to  take  place  immediately, 
or  should  a  previous  representation  be  made  to  Sir 
Henry  Clinton,  and  satisfaction  be  demanded  from  him  ? 

"  *  3.  In  case  of  representation  and  demand,  who  should 
be  the  person  or  persons  to  be  required  ? 

"  <  4.  In  case  of  refusal,  and  retaliation  becoming  ne-1 
cessary,  of  what  description  shall  the  officer  be  on  whom 
it  is  to  take  place  ;  and  how  shall  he  be  designated  for 
the  purpose  ?  ' ' 

"  Twenty-five  officers  sent  answers  to  the  above  que 

25 


290  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

ries  in  writing.  They  were  unanimous  in  the  opinion, 
that  retaliation  was  justifiable  and  expedient;  that  the 
leader  of  the  party,  [Captain  Lippencot.]  who  murdered 
Captain  Ruddy,  was  the  person  who  ought  to  suffer ; 
and  that,  in  case  he  could  not  be  obtained,  an  officer 
equal  in  rank  to  Captain  Huddy  should  be  selected  by 
lot  from  the  British  prisoners.  Twenty-two  of  the  Ame 
rican  officers  agreed  in  the  decision,  that  a  representation 
should  first  be  made  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  satisfaction 
demanded ;  the  other  three  thought;  that  the  laws  of 
war,  and  the  enormity  of  the  offence  justified,  an  im 
mediate  execution  without  previous  notice  to  the  British 
commander."  * 

On  the  20th  of  April  the  following  letter  was  address 
ed  by  him  to  General  Knox,  and  Gouvernour  Morris, 
then  of  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.  and  acting  as  commis 
sioners  for  the  transaction  of  certain  matters  of  reciprocal 
advantage  to  the  two  armies  : 

"  Gentlemen, 

"  I  have  been  favoured  with  your  letter  of  the  16th 
of  April,  by  General  Forman.  Convinced  from  the 
state  of  facts  which  have  been  exhibited  to  me,  that 
justice,  expediency,  and  necessity,  require  that  satis 
faction  should  be  obtained  for  the  murder  of  Cap^- 
tain  Huddy,  I  have  in  the  first  instance,  made  a 
representation  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  demanded 
that  the  officer  who  commanded  the  party,  or,  if  he 
was  not  a  captain,  such  a  number  of  agents  in  the  exe 
cution  as  are  equal  by  tariff  to  that  rank,  should  be 
delivered  up  to  condign  punishment.  In  case  of  refusal 

*  Note  by  the  Editor  of  Washington's  Writings. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  291 

I  have  formed  the  resolution,  that  retaliation  shall  take 
place  upon  a  British  officer  of  equal  rank.  It  therefore 
remains  with  the  enemy  alone  to  prevent  this  distressing 
alternative ;  for,  having  formed  my  opinion  upon  the 
most  mature  reflection  and  deliberation,  I  can  never 
recede  from  it." 

He  wrote  the  next  day  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton  : — 

"  Sir, 

c;The  enclosed  representation  from  the  inhabitants  of 
the  county  of  Monmouth,  with  testimonials  to  the  facts, 
which  can  be  corroborated  by  other  unquestionable  evi 
dence,  will  brii) g  before  your  Excellency  the  most 
wanton,  unprecedented,  and  inhuman  murder,  that 
ever  disgraced  the  arms  of  a  civilized  people. 

"  I  shall  not,  because  I  believe  it  to  be  altogether  un 
necessary,  trouble  your  Excellency  with  any  animad 
versions  upon  this  transaction.  Candour  obliges  me  to 
be  explicit.  To  save  the  innocent,  I  demand  the  guilty. 
Captain  Lippencot,  therefore,  or  the  officer  who  com 
manded  at  the  execution  of  Captain  Huddy,  must  be 
given  up ;  or,  if  that  officer  was  of  inferior  rank  to  him, 
so  many  of  the  perpetrators  as  will,  according  to  the 
tariff  of  exchange,  be  an  equivalent.  To  do  this  will 
mark  the  justice  of  your  Excellency's  character.  In 
failure  of  it,  I  shall  hold  myself  justifiable,  in  the  eyes  of 
God  and  man,  for  the  measure  to  which  I  shall 
resort. 

"  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  be  persuaded,  that  it  cannot 
be  more  disagreeable  to  you  to  be  addressed  in  this  lan 
guage,  than  it  is  to  me  to  offer  it ;  but  the  subject 
requires  frankness  and  decision.  I  have  to  request  your 


RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

speedy  determination,  as  my  resolution  is  suspended  but 
for  your  answer." 

About  ten  days  after,  he  wrote  to  Brigadier-General 
Hazen  : — 

"  The  enemy,  persisting  in  that  barbarous  line  of 
conduct  which  they  have  pursued  during  the  couise  of 
this  war,  have  lately  most  inhumanly  executed  Captain 
Joshua  Huddy,  of  the  Jersey  State  troops,  taken  prisoner 
by  them  at  a  post  on  Tom's  river  ;  and  in  consequence 
I  have  written  to  the  British  Commander-in-chief,  that, 
unless  the  perpetrators  of  that  horrid  deed  were  delivered 
up,  I  should  be  under  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  retali 
ating,  as  the  only  means  left  to  put  a  stop  to  such  in 
human  proceedings. 

"You  will,  therefore,  immediately,  on  receipt  of  this, 
designate  by  lot  for  the  above  purpose,  a  British  captain, 
who  is  an  unconditonal  prisoner,  if  such  a  one  is  in 

your  possession I  need  not  mention  to  you,  that 

every  possible  tenderness,  that  is  consistent  with  the  se 
curity  of  him,  should  be  shown  to  the  person  whose 
unfortunate  lot  it  may  be  to  suffer.  " 

On  the  next  day  he  wrote  to  General  Robertson  of 
the  British  army,  and  now  Commander-in-chief;  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  having  sailed  for  Europe  : — 

"HEAD  QUARTERS,  4th  May,  1782. 

«  Sir, 

"I  have  had  the  honour  to  receive  your  letter  of 
the  1st  instant.  Your  Excellency  is  acquainted  with 
the  determination  expressed  in  my  letter  of  the  21st  of 
April  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  I  have  now  to  inform  you, 
that  so  far  from  receding  from  that  resolution,  orders  are 
given  to  designate  a  British  officer  for  retaliation.  The 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  293 

time  and  place  are  fixed  ;  but  I  still  hope  the  result  of 
your  court-martial  will  prevent  this  dreadful  alternative. 
"  Sincerely  lamenting  the  cruel  necessity,  which  alone 
can  induce  so  distressing  a  measure  in  the  present  in 
stance,  I  do  assure  your  Excellency,  that  I  am  as  earn 
estly  desirous  as  you  can  be,  that  the  war  may  be  carried 
on  agreeably  to  the  rules  which  humanity  formed,  and 
the  example  of  the  politest  nations  recommends, "  &c. 

To  the  Secretary  at  War. 

"  NEWBURGH,  4th  May,  1782. 

"  Dear  Sir, 

"  By  the  letter  to  Brigadier-General  Hazen,  which  I 
have  enclosed  to  you  under  a  flying-seal  for  your  inspec 
tion,  you  will  observe  the  distressing  alternative  to  which 
we  are  at  last  reduced. 

"As  soon  as  the  British  officer,  whose  unfortunate  lot  it 
is  to  be  designated  as  the  object  of  retaliation,  shall  arrive 
in  Philadelphia,  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  a  sufficient 
escort,  under  the  command  of  a  very  discreet  and  vigilant 

officer. 

******** 

"  Keenly  wounded  as  my  feelings  will  be,  at  the  de 
plorable  destiny  of  the  unhappy  victim,  no  gleam  of 
hope  can  arise  to  him  but  from  the  conduct  of  the  enemy 
themselves.  This  he  may  be  permitted  to  communicate 
to  the  British  Commander-in-chief,  in  whose  power  alone 
it  rests  to  avert  the  impending  vengeance  from  the  inno 
cent  by  executing  it  on  the  guilty." 

The  following  letter,  or  rather  extract  of  a  letter,  writ 
ten  by  General  Hazen  to  General  Washington,  will 
show  the  proceedings  in  designating  the  victim  of  reta-. 
liation. 

25* 


294  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  25th  instant,  I  received  your 
Excellency's  letters  of  the  3d  and  18th.  As  I  had  to 
collect  the  British  captains,  prisoners  of  war  at  this  place 
[Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,]  and  Yorktown,  it  was  ten 
o'clock  this  morning  before  I  could  assemble  those  gen 
tlemen  together.  At  the  drawing  of  lots,  which  was 
done  in  the  presence  of  Major  Gordon  and  all  the  Brit 
ish  captains  within  the  limits  prescribed,  the  unfortu 
nate  lot  has  fallen  on  Captain  Charles  Asgill,  of  the 
guards,  a  young  gentleman  nineteen  years  of  age  ;  a 
most  amiable  character  ;  the  only  son  of  Sir  Charles 
Asgill ;  heir  to  an  extensive  fortune,  and  an  honourable 
title  ;  and,  of  course,  he  has  great  interest  in  the  British 
court  and  army.  The  British  officers  are  highly  enraged 
at  the  conduct  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton  ;  they  have  solicited 
my  leave  to  send  an  officer  to  New-York  on  this  occa 
sion,  or  that  I  should  intercede  with  the  minister  of  war 
to  grant  it.  Being  fully  convinced,  that  no  inconve 
nience  could  possibly  arise  to  our  cause  from  this  indul 
gence,  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  good  policy  and  hu 
manity  dictate  the  measure,  I  was  pleased  at  the  appli 
cation,  and  with  cheerfulness  have  recommended  to  the 
minister  of  war,  to  grant  the  honourable  Captain  Ludlow, 
son  to  the  earl  of  Ludlow,  leave  to  carry  the  repre 
sentation  of  those  unfortunate  officers,  who  openly 
declare  they  have  been  deserted  by  their  General,  and 
given  up  to  suffer  for  the  sins  of  the  guilty,"  &c. 

Major  Gordon,  the  principal  officer  among  the  British 
prisoners  at  Lancaster,  wrote  to  Sir  Guy  Caiieton*  as 
follows,  after  informing  him  of  Captain  Asgill's  having 
been  selected  for  retaliation  : 

*  This  officer  had  just  arrived  as  successor  of  Sir  H.  Clinton. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  295 

"  I  have  done  all  in  my  power  to  prevent  it,  which 
I  hope  will  meet  with  your  approbation.  Lots  were 
drawn  by  the  captains  of  Lord  Cornwallis'  army  present 
here,  and  when  the  unfortunate  chance  fell  to  Captain 
Asgill,  he  received  it  with  that  firm  coolness  that  would 
have  reflected  honour  upon  any  officer  in  his  Majesty's 
service.  The  delicate  manner  in  which  General  Hazen 
communicated  his  orders  to  the  British  officers,  shows 
him  to  be  a  man  of  real  feeling  ;  and  the  mild  treatment 
the  prisoners  have  met  with  since  we  came  to  this  place, 
deserves  the  warmest  acknowledgments  of  every  British 
officer. :' 

On  the  4th  of  June,  General  Washington  wrote  to 
Colonel  Elias  Dayton  : — 

"  Sir, 

"  I  am  just  informed  by  the  Secretary  at  war,  that 
Captain  Asgill,  of  the  British  guards,  an  unfortunate 
officer,  who  is  destined  to  be  the  unhappy  victim  to 
atone  for  the  death  of  Captain  Ruddy,  had  arrived  in 
Philadelphia,  and  would  set  off  very  soon  for  the  Jersey 
line,  the  place  assigned  for  his  execution.  He  will 
probably  arrive  as  soon  as  this  will  reach  you,  and  will 
be  attended  by  Captain  Ludlow,  his  friend,  whom  he 
wishes  to  be  permitted  to  go  into  New- York,  with  an 
address  to  Sir  Guy  Carleton  in  his  behalf. 

You  will,  therefore,  give  permission  to  Captain  Ludlow, 
to  go  by  the  way  of  Dobbs'  Ferry  into  New- York,  with 
such  representation  as  Captain  Asgill  shall  please  to  make 
to  Sir  Guy  Carleton.  At  the  same  time,  I  would  wish 
you  to  intimate  to  the  gentlemen,  that,  although  I  am 
deeply  affected  with  the  unhappy  fate,  to  which  Captain 
Asgill  is  subjected,  yet,  that  it  will  be  to  no  purpose  for 


296  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

them  to  make  any  representation  to  Sir  Guy  Carleton, 
which  may  serve  to  draw  on  a  discussion  of  the  present 
point  of  retaliation  ;  that  in  the  stage  to  which  the  matter 
has  been  suffered  to  run,  all  argumentation  on  the  sub 
ject  is  entirely  precluded  on  my  part;  that  my  resolutions 
have  been  grounded  on  so  mature  deliberatioiij  that  they 
must  remain  unalterably  fixed.  You  will  also  inform 
the  gentlemen,  that  while  my  duty  calls  me  to  make 
this  decisive  determination,  humanity  prompts  a  tear 
for  the  unfortunate  offering,  and  inclines  me  to  say, 
that  I  most  devoutly  wish  his  life  may  be  spared. 

"  In  the  mean  time.  I  must  beg  that  you  will  be  pleased 
to  treat  Captain  Asgill  with  every  tender  attention  and 
politeness,  (consistent  with  his  present  situation,)  which 
his  rank,  fortune,  and  connexions,  together  with  his  un 
fortunate  state,  demand." 

Writing  to  John  Dickinson,  President  of  Delaware,  on 
the  19th  of  June,  he  says : — 

"  I  feel  myself  exceedingly  distressed  on  this  occasion ; 
but  my  resolutions  having  been  taken  on  the  most 
mature  deliberation,  supported  by  the  approbation  of 
Congress,  and  grounded  on  the  general  concurrence  of 
all  the  principal  officers  of  the  army,  who  were  parti 
cularly  consulted,  they  cannot  be  receded  from.  Justice  to 
the  army  and  the  public,  my  own  honour,  and  I  think 
I  may  venture  to  say,  universal  benevolence,  require 
them  to  be  carried  into  full  execution.  It  rests,  therefore, 
with  the  British  Commander-in-chief  to  prevent  this  un 
happy  measure  from  taking  effect.  The  matter  is  now 
in  agitation  ;  and  I  am  told  that  a  strict  inquiry  is  mak 
ing  into  the  conduct  of  Lippencot,  who  is  charged  as  be 
ing  the  principal  perpetrator  of  the  cruel  murder  of  Cap- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  297 

tain  Huddy.  Should  this  inquiry  lead  to  a  giving  of 
satisfaction  by  a  compliance  with  my  original  demand  to 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  my  feelings  will  be  greatly  relieved, 
and  I  need  not  assure  you,  that  I  shall  receive  the 
highest  pleasure  from  such  an  event." 

The  trial  of  Captain  Lippencot  by  a  general  court- 
martial,  which  was  in  progress  when  the  above  letter  was 
written,  issued  in  the  acquittal  of  that  officer.  He  was 
no  doubt  guilty  of  the  murder  of  Huddy,  but  was  screen 
ed,  according  to  the  general  belief,  by  an  Association  of 
Loyalists,  under  whose  authority  he  had  acted.  The 
British  commanders  were  aware  of  this  wicked  conniv 
ance,  and  altogether  dissatisfied  with  the  acquittal  of 
Lippencot.  Of  this  Sir  Guy  Carleton  gave  General 
Washington  pretty  plain  intimations,  when  apprizing  him 
of  the  decision  of  the  court-martial.  To  this  communi 
cation,  the  following  letter  from  Washington  to  the  Pre 
sident  of  Congress  refers ; — its  date.  Newburgh,  19  Au 
gust,  1782: 

"  As  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  notwithstanding  the  acquittal 
of  Lippencot,  reprobates  the  measure  in  unequivocal 
termsj  and  has  given  assurance  of  prosecuting  a  further 
inquiry,  it  has  changed  the  ground  I  was  proceeding  up 
on,  and  placed  the  matter  upon  an  extremely  delicate 

footing. 

******** 

"  The  same  reason  which  induced  me  to  lay  the  first 
steps  I  took  in  this  affair  before  Congress,  urged  me  to 
submit  it  to  them  at  its  present  stage.  It  is  a  great 
national  concern,  upon  which  an  individual  ought  not 
to  decide.  I  shall  be  glad  to  be  favoured  with  the  deter 
mination  of  Congress  as  early  as  possible,  as  I  shall  sus- 


293  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

pend  giving  any  answer  to  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  until  I 
am  informed  how  far  they  are  satisfied  with  his  conduct 
hitherto. 

"  I  cannot  close  this  letter  without  making  a  remark 
upon  that  part  of  Sir  Guy  Carleton's,  in  which  he 
charges  me  with  want  of  humanity  in  selecting  a  victim 
from  among  the  British  officers  so  early  as  I  did.  He 
ought  to  consider,  that  by  the  usages  of  war,  and  upon 
the  principles  of  retaliation.  I  should  have  been  justified 
in  executing  an  officer  of  equal  rank  with  Captain  Huddy, 
immediately  upon  receiving  proofs  of  his  murder ;  and 
then  informing  Sir  Henry  Clinton  that  I  had  done  so. 
Besides,  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  foresee,  that  it  would 
be  so  very  long  before  the  matter  would  be  brought  to 
some  kind  of  issue." 

It  was  some  time  before  Congress  acted  on  the  matter 
thus  referred  to  their  judgment.  This  delay  was  a  great 
trial  to  Washington's  patience.  He  could  not  anticipate 
their  action,  and  of  course  every  proceeding  on  his  part 
was  suspended.  In  the  meantime  Sir  Guy  Carleton 
looked  for  an  answer,  young  Asgill  was  tortured  with 
suspense,  and  the  public  were  indulging  surmises  and 
reflections  in  regard  to  the  matter.  In  a  letter  to  a  mem 
ber  of  Congress,  Washington  thus  expresses  himself  in 
part  on  the  subject.  The  letter  was  dated  Verplank's 
Point,  30  September,  1782  : 

*'  The  particular  cause  of  my  disquietude  at  this  time 
arises  from  two  things.  First,  while  I  am  totally  silent 
to  the  public,  waiting  the  decision  of  Congress  on  the 
case  of  Huddy,  I  see  publications  on  this  head  (importing 
reflections)  in  one  of  the  Pennsylvania  papers,  which  no 
man  could  have  made,  that  had  not  access  to  my  official 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  299 

letter  of  the  19th  of  August  to  Congress  ;  and  secondly, 
because  I  feel  exceedingly  for  Captain  Asgili,  who  was 
designated  by  lot  in  retaliation  for  Captain  Huddy. 
While  retaliation  was  apparently  necessary,  however 
disagreeable  in  itself,  I  had  no  repugnance  to  the 
measure.  But  when  the  end  proposed  by  it  is  answered, 
by  a  disavowal  of  the  act,  by  a  dissolution  of  the  board 
of  refugees,  and  by  a  promise  (whether  with  or  without 
meaning  to  comply  with  it,  I  shall  not  determine),  that 
further  inquisition  should  be  made  into  the  matter,  I 
thought  it  incumbent  upon  me,  before  I  proceeded  any 
farther  in  the  matter,  to  have  the  sense  of  Congress,  who 
iiad  most  explicitly  approved,  and  impliedly  indeed  or 
dered  retaliation  to  take  place. 

"  The  letter  of  Asgili,  a  copy  of  which  I  enclose,  and 
the  situation  of  his  father,  which  I  am  made  acquainted 
with  by  the  British  prints,  work  too  powerfully  upon  my 
humanity  not  to  wish  that  Congress  would  chalk  a  line 
for  me  to  walk  by  in  this  business.  To  effect  this  is  the 
cause  of  the  trouble  you  now  receive  from,  dear  Sir, 
"  You?  most  obedient,  and  most  humble  servant." 

'*  Captain  Asgili  had  been  for  some  time  released  from 
close  confinement,  and  allowed  to  go  at  large  on  parole 
at  Chatham,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  place. 
He  wrote  to  General  Washington,  requesting  permission 
to  return  to  Europe,  on  account  of  the  illness  of  his  father, 
and  the  distressed  state  of  his  mother  and  sister  in  con 
sequence  of  that  event,  and  of  their  anxiety  for  the  fate 
impending  over  the  son  and  brother. 

*  In  writing  to  the  secretary  of  war,  a  week  after  the 
above  letter,  General  Washington  said  ;  'The  delay  of 


300  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

Congress  places  me  not  only  in  a  very  delicate,  but  a  very 
awkward  situation.  Were  I  to  give  my  private  opinion 
respecting  Asgill,  I  would  pronounce  in  favour  of  his  be 
ing  released  from  his  duress,  and  that  he  should  be  per 
mitted  to  go  to  his  friends  in  Europe." — Note  by  the 
Editor  of  Washington's  writings. 

Duringthe  month  of  October,  General  Washington  re 
ceived  a  letter  from  Count  de  Vergennes,  containing  a 
very  pathetic  appeal  in  behalf  of  Captain  Asgill.  This 
letter  enclosed  one  from  Lady  Asgill  to  the  Count,  beg 
ging  his  intercession  with  General  Washington  in  favour 
of  her  son.  The  letter  of  the  French  Minister  was  in 
the  following  affecting  strain  : — 

•'VERSAILLES,  29th  July,  1782. 

"Sir, 

"  It  is  not  in  the  quality  of  'a  King,  the  friend  and 
ally  of  the  United  States,  (though  with  the  knowledge 
and  consent  of  His  Majesty,)  that  I  now  have  the  honour 
to  write  to  your  Excellency.  It  is  as  a  man  of  sensibility 
and  a  tender  father,  who  feels  all  the  force  of  paternal 
love,  that  I  take  the  liberty  to  address  to  your  Excellency 
my  earnest  solicitations  in  favour  of  a  mother  and  family 
in  tears.  Her  situation  seems  the  more  worthy  of  notice 
on  our  part,  as  it  is  to  the  humanity  of  a  nation  at  war 
with  her  own,  that  she  has  recourse,  for  what  she  ought 
to  receive  from  the  impartial  justice  of  her  own  Ge 
nerals. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  enclose  to  your  Excellency  a 
copy  of  a  letter,  which  Lady  Asgill  has  just  written  me. 
I  am  not  known  to  her,  nor  was  I  acquainted  that  her 
son  was  the  unhappy  victim,  destined  by  lot  to  expiate 
the  odious  crime  that  a  formal  denial  of  justice  obliges 


CHARACTER    OF   WASHINGTON.  301 

you  to  avenge.  Your  Excellency  will  not  read  this  letter 
without  being  extremely  afTected  ;  it  had  that  effect  upon 
the  King  and  Queen,  to  whom  I  communicated  it. 
The  goodness  of  their  Majesties'  hearts  induces  them  to 
desire,  that  the  inquietudes  of  an  unfortunate  mother 
may  be  calmed,  and  her  tenderness  reassured.  I  felt, 
sir,  that  there  are  cases  where  humanity  itself  exacts  the 
most  extreme  rigour ;  perhaps  the  one  now  in  question 
may  be  of  the  number — but,  allowing  reprisals  to  be 
just,  it  is  not  less  horrid  to  those  who  are  the  victims ; 
and  the  character  of  your  Excellency  is  too  well  known, 
for  me  not  to  be  persuaded,  that  you  desire  nothing  more 
than  to  be  able  to  avoid  the  disagreeable  necessity. 

"  There  is  one  consideration,  sir,  which,  though  it  is 
not  decisive,  may  have  an  influence  on  your  resolution. 
Captain  Asgill  is,  doubtless,  your  prisoner,  but  he  is 
among  those  whom  the  arms  of  the  King  contributed  to 
put  into  your  hands  at  Yorktown.  Though  this  circum 
stance  does  not  operate  as  a  safeguard,  it  however  justi 
fies  the  interest  I  permit  myself  to  take  in  this  affair. 
If  it  is  in  your  power,  sir,  to  consider,  and  have  regard 
to  it.  you  will  do  what  is  agreeable  to  their  majesties ; 
the  danger  of  young  Asgill,  the  tears,  the  despair  of  hia 
mother,  affect  them  sensibly  ;  and  they  will  see  with 
pleasure  the  hope  of  consolation  shine  out  for  those  un 
fortunate  people. 

"  In  seeking  to  deliver  Mr.  Asgill  from  the  fate  which 
threatens  him,  I  am  far  from  engaging  you  to  secure 
another  victim  ;  the  pardon,  to  be  perfectly  satisfactory, 
must  be  entire.  I  do  not  imagine  it  can  be  productive  of 
any  bad  consequences.  If  the  English  General  has  not 
keen  able  to  punish  the  horrible  crime  you  complain  of, 

26 


302  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

in  so  exemplary  a  manner  as  he  should,  there  is  reason 
to  think  that  he  will  take  the  most  efficacious  measures 
to  prevent  the  like  in  future. 

"  I  sincerely  wish,  sir,  that  my  intercession  may  meet 
success  ;  the  sentiment  which  dictates  it,  and  which  you 
have  not  ceased  to  manifest  on  every  occasion,  assures 
me,  that  you  will  not  be  indifferent  to  the  prayers 
and  to  the  tears  of  a  family,  which  has  recourse  to  your 
clemency  through  me.  It  is  rendering  homage  to  your 
virtue  to  implore  it. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  the  most  perfect  consi 
deration,  sir,  yours,  &c. 

"  VERGENNES." 

This  letter  and  the  enclosed  copy  of  Lady  Asgill's 
were,  when  received,  transmitted  to  the  President  of 
Congress.  Being  taken  into  consideration  by  that  body, 
it  was  resolved  "  that  the  Commander-in-chief  be,  and 
he  is  hereby  directed,  to  set  Captain  Asgili  at  liberty." 

When  duly  informed  of  this  resolution,  General  Wash 
ington  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Captain  Asgili. 

«  HEAD-QUARTERS,  13th  Nov.  1782. 

«•  Sir, 

"  It  affords  me  singular  pleasure,  to  have  it  in  my 
fewer  to  transmit  to  you  the  enclosed  copy  of  an  Act  of 
Congress,  of  the  7th  instant,  by  which  you  are  released 
from  the  disagreeable  circumstances  in  which  you  have 
so  long  been.  Supposing  that  you  would  wish  to  go 
into  New- York  as  soon  as  possible,  I  also  enclose  a  pass 
port  for  that  purpose. 

"Your letter  of  the  18th  of  October,  came  regularly 
to  my  hands.  I  beg  you  to  believe,  that  my  not  an 
swering  it  sooner,  did  not  proceed  from  inattention  to 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  303 

you,  or  a  want  of  feeling  for  your  situation.  I  daily  ex 
pected  a  determination  of  your  case,  and  I  thought  it 
better  to  await  that,  than  to  feed  you  with  hopes,  that 
might  in  the  end  prove  fruitless.  You  will  attribute  my 
detention  of  the  enclosed  letters,  which  have  been  in  my 
hands  about  a  fortnight,  to  the  same  cause. 

"  I  cannot  take  leave  of  you,  sir,  without  assuring 
you,  that,  in  whatever  light  my  agency  in  this  unplea 
sant  affair  may  be  viewed,  I  was  never  influenced, 
through  the  whole  of  it,  by  sanguinary  motives,  but  by 
what  I  conceived  to  be  a  sense  of  my  duty,  which  loudly 
called  upon  me  to  take  measures,  however  disagreeable, 
to  prevent  a  repetition  of  those  enormities  which  have 
been  the  subject  of  discussion.  And  that  this  important 
end  is  likely  to  be  answered,  without  the  effusion  of  the 
blood  of  an  innocent  person,  is  not  a  greater  relief  to  you, 
than  it  is  to,  sir,  your  most  obedient  and  humble  ser 
vant." 

On  the  21st  of  November,  he  wrote  to  Count  de  Ver- 
gennes  in  answer  to  his  letter.  The  conclusion  of  his 
communication  was  in  the  following  words : — 

"  Captain  Asgill  has  been  released,  and  is  at  perfect  li 
berty  to  return  to  the  arms  of  an  affectionate  parent,  whose 
pathetic  address  to  your  Excellency  could  not  fail  of  inte 
resting  evei'y  feeling  heart  in  her  behalf.  I  have  no  right 
to  assume  any  particular  merit  from  the  lenient  manner  in 
which  this  disagreeable  affair  has  terminated.  But  I  beg 
you  to  believe,  sir,  that  I  most  sincerely  rejoice,  not  only  be 
cause  your  humane  intentions  are  gratified,  but  because 
the  event  accords  with  the  wishes  of  His  Most  Christian 
Majesty,  and  His  Royal  and  Amiable  Consort,  who,  by 
their  benevolence  and  munificence,  have  endeared  them- 


304  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS 

selves  to  every  true  American.      I  have  the  honour  to 
be,"  &c. 

With  every  impartial  person,  we  conceive  that  the  de 
tail  now  submitted,  must  be  conclusive  of  Washington's 
benevolent  and  humane  sensibilities  in  reference  to  this 
case.  Though  inflexible  in  his  purposes  of  rigour — yet 
these  were  cherished  from  a  sense  of  duty  and  not  from 
any  want  of  sympathy  in  the  sufferings  of  others.  He 
evidently  thought  that  the  partial  sacrifice  in  question, 
was  demanded  by  the  claims  of  "  universal  benevolence." 
What  his  views  and  feelings  were  respecting  the  princi 
ple  in  the  abstract,  and  of  course,  as  it  was  involved  in 
in  the  case  before  us,  may  be  learned  from  the  unbiassed 
expression  of  his  sentiments  on  that  subject,  in  a  letter 
to  General  Greene,  written  some  months  before  the  event 
whose  occurrence  subjected  him  to  so  severe  a  trial. 
General  Greene  had  requested  the  opinion  of  Congress, 
and  of  the  Commander-in-chief,  on  the  point  of  retalia 
tion,  in  reference  to  the  murder  of  Colonel  Hayne  by  the 
enemy.  General  Washington  in  reply,  wrote  him,  un^ 
der  date  of  December  15th,  1781 : 

"  I  really  know  not  what  to  say  on  the  subject  of  retal 
iation.  Congress  have  it  under  consideration,  and  we 
must  await  their  determination.  Of  this  I  am  convinced, 
that  of  all  laws,  it  is  the  most  difficult  to  execute,  where 
you  have  not  the  transgressor  himself  in  your  possession. 
Humanity  will  ever  interfere  and  plead  strongly  against 
the  sacrifice  of  an  innocent  person  for  the  guilt  of  ano 
ther." 

We  shall  detain  the  reader  with  a  single  remark.  If 
we  have  devoted  to  the  subject  of  this  chapter,  (the  hu^ 
manity  of  Washington,)  more  space  than  some  are  dis« 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  305 

posed  to  consider  necessary,  we  think  a  sufficient  reason 
may  be  assigned.  There  was  no  one  virtue  in  the  father 
of  his  country  more  exposed  than  this  to  the  as 
saults  of  temptation,  nor  one  more  frequently  or  violently 
impeached  by  his  enemies.  A  considerable  portion  of 
his  life  being  spent  amidst  scenes  of  military  conflict, 
where  spectacles  of  human  suffering  and  bloodshed  were 
constantly  before  him,  it  is  certain  that  the  trial  of  his 
virtue  was  great,  and  liable  to  suspicion  from  the  very 
fact  of  its  exposure  to  influences  so  malign.  If  to  these 
unfavourable  accidents,  we  add  the  trying  circumstances 
and  embarrassing  duties  of  his  high  station,  with  all  the 
responsibilities  and  fearful  consequences  involved  in  the 
faithful  and  effectual  discharge  of  its  obligations,  we  can 
not  be  surprised,  that  a  course  of  conduct  should  some 
times  be  imposed  on  him,  by  which  he  would  be  rendered 
liable  to  charges  of  inhumanity  with  partial,  interested, 
and  incompetent  judges.  A  military  life  is  confessedly 
adverse  to  the  benignant  feelings  and  sympathies  of  our 
nature  ;  and  in  estimating  their  prevalence  in  the  cha 
racter  of  a  warrior,  great  allowance  should  be  made  for 
his  peculiar  position  and  the  unpropitious  influences 
thereof.  In  the  present  instance  we  claim  the  advantage 
of  this  reasonable  concession  ;  and  if  it  is  freely  granted, 
the  question  is  settled.  Nor  only  so.  Washington's  right 
to  the  honour  of  this  virtue  will  stand  on  the  highest 
ground:  the  closest  scrutiny,  we  think,  will  serve  to  en 
hance  his  claims,  and  show  him  entitled  to  a  credit  ren 
dered  the  more  illustrious  from  the  severity  of  the  ordeal 
through  which  it  was  his  peculiar  destiny  to  pass. 


26* 


306  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS   AND 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

HIS       VIEWS        OF      PROFANE     SWEARING; 
GAMING    AND    DRUNKENNESS. 

IN  the  history  of  profaneness,  there  is  this  singular  pe 
culiarity  ;  that,  whilst  no  man  pretends  to  excuse  or  justi 
fy  it,  there  are  yet  multitudes  of  our  race  who  give  it  the 
sanction  of  their  practical  approval.  The  vice  is  acknow 
ledged  to  be  evil,  and  only  evil,  whilst  the  temptations  to  it 
are  few  and  feeble  •  and  yet  many,  in  spite  of  their  convic 
tions,  indulge  in  it,  heedless  of  the  consequences  to  them 
selves  or  others. 

In  so  serious  a  light  does  the  Almighty  regard  this 
offence,  that  He  has  included  it  among  the  sins  specially 
denounced  in  the  decalogue.  That  there  was  ample 
reason  for  this  solemn  prohibition,  will  be  admitted  by  all 
who  duly  consider  the  essential  malignity  of  the  vice, 
and  the  injury  done  by  it  to  the  transgressor  himself,  as 
to  those  with  whom  his  example  may  have  authority  and 
influence. 

The  sin  has  its  origin  in  a  wrong  state  of  the  affec 
tions.  There  must  be  irreverence  towards  God  in  the 
heart,  before  the  same  could  have  so  decided  a  mani 
festation  in  the  speech.  The  effect  of  indulgence  in  this, 
as  in  everv  other  bad  propensity,  is  to  augment  its  force. 
Habit  gives  strength  and  energy  to  the  passion.  The 


CHARACTER    dF    WASHINGTON.  307 

Shiothered  fire  exposed  to  the  quickening  breeze,  is 
soon  fanned  into  a  flame.  Nor  is  there  any  atmosphere 
more  withering  to  the  buds  of  grace  and  virtue  than  that 
of  profaneness.  Under  its  scorching  influence  there  is 
a  gradual  decay  of  every  better  feeling ;  and  waxing 
worse  and  worse  as  his  corruption  spreads,  man  is  at 
length  totally  deserted  by  Him  whose  sacred  name  he 
has  not  feared  to  dishonour,  whenever  incited  thereto  by 
the  impulses  either  of  anger  or  of  mirth. 

Whilst  the  injury  is  great  to  the  swearer  himself,  the 
effects  of  his  iniquity  are  not  less  serious  in  regard  to  so 
ciety  at  large.  Nothing  is  more  demoralizing  in  its 
influence  upon  mankind,  than  profane  swearing.  It  not 
only  weakens  what  has  been  termed  the  moral  sense 
in  those  who  practise  it,  but  very  much  corrupts  that  es 
sential  faculty  in  those  who  hear  with  frequency,  the 
polluting  sounds  of  blasphemy.  AVhere  the  vice  pre 
vails,  the  fear  of  God  is  never  found ;  and  men,  released 
from  the  salutary  checks  of  Conscience  and  religion,  give 
free  scope  to  their  passions,  and  submit  to  no  restraints 
but  those  which  self-interest  may  impose. 

Gaining  also  is  a  practice,  vicious  in  itself,  and  very 
detrimental  to  society.  Whatever  apologies  may  be  made 
for  it  by  those  interested  in  its  defence,  it  is  nevertheless 
certain,  that  there  are  few  vices  more  intrinsically  evil, 
or  relatively  injurious*  As  profaneness  is  a  violation  of 
the  command,  "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  vaiiij  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guilt 
less  that  taketh  his  name  in  vain,"  -  so  this  is  indulged,  in 
contravention  of  the  command  "  Thou  shalt  not  steal." 
There  are  but  two  ways  in  which  a  man  can  honestly  be 
come  the  possessor  of  the  property  of  others  ;  that  is,  by  fred 


308  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS   AND 

gift,  or  by  returning  an  equivalent  for  what  is  received. 
Now  it  is  by  neither  of  these  methods,  that  the  gamester 
acquires  the  property  of  his  associates.  He  does  not  receive! 
it  as  a  free  gift,  nor  does  he  give  them  an  equivalent  for 
their  property.  Their  wealth  has  been  transferred  to  his 
coffers,  sorely  against  their  will,  and  he  is  in  possession 
of  it  without  the  sacrifice  of  a  farthing  on  his  part ;  and 
it  was  with  the  desire  for,  and  hope  of  such  a  result,  that 
he  sat  down  to  the  gaming  table.  He  coveted  his  neigh 
bour's  money,  and  avails  himself  of  this  way  of  getting 
it  from  him,  careless  of  the  consequences  to  him,  regard 
less  of  his  sufferings  or  his  total  ruin. 

In  such  an  engagement  there  must  be  the  worst  feel 
ings  embarked.  Besides  the  "  accursed  love  of  gold,"  which 
moves  the  whole,  there  is  a  feverish  excitement  of  selfish 
desire,  which  withers  every  generous  feeling  of  the  breast, 
and  exhausts  every  energy  of  mind  and  body.  Self  is 
the  idol  at  whose  shrine  the  parties  offer  their  adorations. 
To  this,  as  to  another  Moloch,  do  they  sacrifice  every 
good  affection,  every  tender  sympathy,  every  claim  of 
humanity.  No  matter  how  severe  the  calamity,  of  for 
tune  lost,  and  family  beggared ;  no  matter  what  anguish 
may  wring  the  tortured  soul  of  the  loser ;  the  winner 
in  his  triumph  is  heedless  of  it  all.  He  witnesses  the 
distress  he  has  caused,  and  cherishes  no  feeling  of  sym 
pathy,  nor  any  kind  purpose  of  relieving  the  unhappy 
sufferer.  He  could  do  so  without  injury  to  himself. 
It  would  only  be  necessary  for  him  to  restore  what  be 
longed  to  the  other,  and  when  thus  restored,  would  leave 
him  where  he  was  before  the  game  commenced.  But 
this  he  will  not  do.  He  chooses  to  retain  his  ill-gotten 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  309 

gains,  that  he  may  expend  them  in  guilty  extravagance 
or  in  miserly  accumulation. 

This  unhallowed  pursuit  involves,  moreover,  a  total 
subversion  of  the  economy  of  social  life.  The  order  of 
Providence  directs  to  honest  and  patient  industry,  as  the 
means  of  acquiring  the  ordinary  benefits  of  earth.  The 
appointment  is  fraught  with  the  richest  blessings  to  men. 
It  gains  for  them  a  competency  of  worldly  goods,  with 
comfort,  health,  and  security.  There  is  no  other  course 
of  conduct  so  favourable  to  the  development  of  virtue  and 
the  attainment  of  true  happiness.  Such  a  life  is  the 
friend  of  sobriety,  the  nurse  of  contentment,  and  aid  of 
godliness.  In  this  way  alone  can  individuals  or  com 
munities  prosper.  In  this  way  alone  can  they  gain 
happiness  for  this  life,  or  hope  for  the  next.  But  with 
this  beneficent  provision  of  a  kind  providence,  the  love 
of  play  is  entirely  at  war.  Instead  of  industry,  with  its 
train  of  blessings,  there  is  idleness^  extravagance,  waste, 
improvidence,  fraud,  inhumanity  and  impiety.  If  such 
a  spirit  prevailed  universally,  society  would  be  dissolv 
ed,  and  all  its  precious  blessings  be  no  more. 

The  crime  of  Drunkenness  is  one  of  hideous  aspect, 
and  appalling  consequences.  There  is,  however,  less  oc 
casion  to  discuss  this  vice,  because  many  pens  and 
tongues  have  been  of  late  actively  engaged  in  displaying 
its  enormity,  and  holding  up  its  evils  to  the  public  view. 
In  all  that  is  said  of  its  guilt,  its  malignity,  and  awful 
effects  we  entirely  concur.  It  has,  indeed,  been  the  un 
relenting  scourge  of  our  earth,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
most  dreadful  curses  by  which  the  race  is  afflicted.  It 
is  at  this  hour  one  of  the  most  prolific  sources  of  disease, 
disgrace,  poverty,  and  death,  that  is  known  in  our  world 


310  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

and  more  than  any  thing  else,  demands  the  zeal  of  the 
patriot,  philanthropist,  and  Christian,  in  order  to  its  correc 
tion  and  final  extinction. 

Wise  and  good  men  have  ever  been  the  uncompromis 
ing  enemies  of  the  evil  practices  and  habits  here  detailed. 
Regarding  them  as  offensive  to  God  and  destructive  to 
men,  they  have  held  it  their  duty  to  condemn  their  in 
dulgence,  and  endeavour  to  arrest  their  growth  and 
prevalence. 

Among  the  many  worthies  who  have  borne  a  decided 
and  unequivocal  testimony  against  them,  the  subject  of 
these  pages  is  entitled  to  a  high  rank.  From  an  early 
period  of  his  life  he  seems  to  have  been  impressed  with  a 
proper  sense  of  the  great  evil  of  them,  and  to  have  used 
his  influence,  on  all  proper  occasions,  to  discourage  and 
suppress  them  in  those  with  whom  he  might  have  weight 
and  authority. 

In  a  letter  written  to  an  inferior  officer  of  the  army, 
in  the  year  1756,  he  has  the  following  language : 

"The  Governour  seems  determined  to  make  the  Offi 
cers  comply  with  the  terms  of  folding  their  commissions , 

or  forfeit  them He  seems  uneasy  at  what  I 

own  gives  me  much  concern ;  namely,  that  gaming  is 
introduced  into  the  camp.  I  am  ordered  to  discourage 
it,  and  must  desire  that  you  will  intimate  the  same." 

In  reference  to  this  and  kindred  topics  he   wrote  to 
Governour  Dinwiddie,  from  Winchester,  under  date  of 
April  18th,  1756. 
«  Sir, 

"  It  gave  me  infinite  concern  to  find  in  yours,  by  Go 
vernour  Innes,  that  any  representations  should  inflame 
the  Assembly  against  the  Virginia  regiment,  or  give  cause 


CHARACTER    Of    WASHINGTON.  311 

to  suspect  the  morality  and  good  behaviour  of  the  offi 
cers.    How  far  any  of  the  individuals  may  have  deserved 
such  reflections,  I  will  not  take  upon  me  to  determine ;  but 
this  I  am  certain  of,  and  can  call  my  conscience,  and 
what  1  suppose  will  be  a  still  more  demonstrative  proof 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  my  orders,  to  witness  how  much 
I  have,  both  by  threats  and  persuasive  means,  endeav 
oured  to  discountenance  gaming,  drinking,  swearing, 
and  irregularities  of  every  other  kind  ;  while  I  have, 
on  the  other  hand,  practised  every  artifice  to  inspire  a 
laudable  emulation  in  the  officers  for  the  service  of  their 
country,  and  to  encourage  the  soldiers  in  the  unerring 
exercise  of  their  duty.     How  far  I  have  failed  in  this 
desirable  end,  I  cannot  pretend  to  say.     But  it  is  never 
theless  a  point,  which  does  in  my  opinion  merit  some 
scrutiny,  before  it  meets   with   a  final  condemnation. 
Yet  I  will   not  undertake  to  vouch  for  the  conduct  of 
many   of  the  officers,  as  I  know  there  are  some,  who 
have  the  seeds  of  idleness  very  strongly  implanted  in 
their  natures. 

******** 

"  However,  if  I  continue  in  the  service,  I  shall  take 
care  to  act  with  a  little  more  rigour,  than  has  hitherto 
been  practised,  since  I  find  it  so  necessary." 

In  the  succeeding  June,  whilst  at  Fort  Cumberland, 
the  following  orders  were  issued  by  the  Commander: — 

"  Colonel  Washington  has  observed,  that  the  men 
of  his  regiment  are  very  profane  and  reprobate.  He 
takes  this  opportunity  to  inform  them  of  his  great  dis 
pleasure  at  such  practices,  and  assures  them  that,  if 
they  do  not  leave  them  off,  they  shall  be  severely 
punished.  The  officers  are  desired,  if  they  hear  any 


312  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

man  swear,  or  make  use  of  an  oath  or  execration,  to 
order  the  offender  twenty-five  lashes  immediately,  with 
out  a  court-martial.  For  the  second  offence  he  will  be 
more  severely  punished." 

In  September  he  wrote,  from  Mount  Vernon,  to  Gover- 
nour  Dinwiddie : — 

"  I  apprehend  it  will  be  thought  advisable  to  keep  a 
garrison  always  at  Fort  Loudoun  ;  for  which  reason  I 
would  beg  leave  to  represent  the  number  of  tippling- 
houses  in  Winchester,  as  a  great  nusiance  to  the  soldiers, 
who,  by  this  means,  in  despite  of  the  utmost  care  and 
vigilance,  are,  so  long  as  their  pay  holds  out,  inces 
santly  drunk,  and  unfit  for  service." 

The  day  after  General  Washington  took  command 
of  the  American  army,  under  the  authority  of  Congress, 
he  issued  orders  to  the  troops,  of  which  the  following  is 
an  extract : 

"  The  General  most  earnestly  requires  and  expects  a 
due  observance  of  those  articles  of  war,  established  for 
the  government  of  the  army,  which  forbid  profane  curs 
ing,  swearing,  and  drunkenness.  And  in  like  manner, 
he  requires  and  expects  of  all  officers  and  soldiers,  not 
engaged  on  actual  duty,  a  punctual  attendance  on  divine 
service,"  &c. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1776,  the  following  orders 
were  issued : 

"  All  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  soldiers, 
are  positively  forbid  playing  at  cards  and  other  games 
of  chance.  At  this  time  of  public  distress,  men  may  find 
enough  to  do  in  the  service  of  their  God  and  their 
try,  without  abandoning  themselves  to  vice  and  i 
rality." 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  313 

From  the  Orderly  Book,  August  30.— "  The  General 
is  sorry  to  be  informed,  that  the  foolish  and  wicked  prac 
tice  of  profane  cursing  and  swearing,  a  vice  heretofore 
little  known  in  an  American  army,  is  growing  into 
fashion  ;  he  hopes  the  officers  will,  hy  example  as  well  as 
influence,  endeavour  to  check  it ;  and  that  both  they  and 
the  men  will  reflect,  that  we  can  have  little  hope  of  the 
blessing  of  heaven  on  our  arms,  if  we  insult  it  by  our  im 
piety  and  folly ;  added  to  this,  it  is  a  vice  so  mean  and 
low,  without  any  temptation,  that  every  man  of  sense  and 
character  detests  and  despises  it." 

In  a  circular  to  the  brigadier-generals,  dated  26th  of 
May,  1777,  are  the  following  instructions : 

u  Let  vice  and  immorality  of  every  kind  be  discouraged 
as  much  as  possible  in  your  brigade  ;  and,  as  a  chaplain 
is  allowed  to  each  regiment,  see  that  the  men  regularly 
attend  divine  worship.  Gaming  of  every  kind  is  ex 
pressly  forbidden,  as  being  the  foundation  of  evil,  and  the 
cause  of  many  a  brave  and  gallant  officer's  ruin.  Games 
of  exercise  for  amusement,  may  not  only  be  permitted 
but  encouraged."* 

*  As  an  evidence  of  Washington's  disposition  to  encourage  among 
his  troops,  innocent  diversions  in  place  of  vicious  ones  ;  the  following 
anecdote  may  not  be  unacceptable. 

"  In  the  year  1780,  a  command  of  about  five  hundred  men  had  been 
detached  from  the  main  army,  to  a  post  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson, 
above  Fort  Lee,  at  what  is  now  called,  we  believe,  "The  Pallisadoes." 
Soon  after,  General  Washington,  accompanied  by  his  staff,  visited  the 
command.  After  the  usual  parade  and  salute,  the  troops  stacked  arms  ; 
and  several  of  ihe  officers  and  men  amused  themselves  with  efforts  to 
cast  stones  from  the  high  bluff,  (which  to  the  eye  appeared  almost  per 
pendicular,)  into  the  river  ;  but  no  one  was  able  to  effect  it.  Wash 
ington,  sitting  on  his  charger,  and  witnessing  the  sport,  rmiled  at  the 
ineffectual  attempts,  dismounted,  gave  his  sword  to  his  servant,  search- 

27 


314  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  private  letter  written 
to  his  nephew,  Bushrod  Washington,  then  a  student  of 
law  in  Philadelphia,  and  afterwards  heir  of  Mount  Ver- 
non3  and  an  associate  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  It  will  be  found  to  contain  a  forcible  re 
iteration  of  views,  presented  in  our  previous  citations. 
"NEWBURGH,  15th  Jan.  1783. 

"  Dear  Bushrod, 

#####*## 

11  Let  the  object,  which  carried  you  to  Philadelphia,  be 
always  before  your  eyes.  Remember,  that  it  is  not  the 
mere  study  of  the  law,  but  to  become  eminent  in  the  pro 
fession  of  it,  that  is  to  yield  honour  and  profit.  The  first 
was  your  choice ;  let  the  second  be  your  ambition.  Dis 
sipation  is  incompatible  with  both ;  the  company  in 
which  you  will  improve  most,  will  be  the  least  expensive 
to  you  ;  and  yet  I  am  not  such  a  stoic  as  to  suppose  that 
you  will,  or  to  think  it  right  that  you  should,  always  be 
in  company  with  senators  and  philosophers  ;  but  of  the 
juvenile  kind,  let  me  advise  you  to  be  choice.  It  is  easy 
to  make  acquaintances,  but  very  difficult  to  shake  them 
off,  however  irksome  and  unprofitable  they  are  found, 
after  we  have  once  committed  ourselves  to  them.  The 

ed  for  a  stone,  and  finding  a  suitable  one,  took  two  or  three  quick  steps, 
and  giving  it  a  jerk,  it  seemed  to  take  wings,  and  scaling  a  considera 
ble  distance  almost  horizontally,  struck  the  water,  at  least  a  rod  from 
the  shore;.  All  the  troops  witnessed  the  feat,  and  gave  three  spontan 
eous  cheers,  when  the  General,  without  the  least  appearance  of  hav 
ing  made  an  exertion,  remounted  and  returned  to  the  camp.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  describe  the  serisations  felt  by  the  spectators,  of  this  feat 
of  muscular  strength,  howeVer  trivial,  performed  by  the  idol  of  the 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  315 

indiscretions,  which  very  often  they  involuntary  lead 
one  into,  prove  equally  distressing  and  disgraceful. 

"  Be  courteous  to  all,  but  intimate  with  few  ;  and  let 
those  few  be  well  tried  before  you  give  them  your  confi 
dence.  True  friendship  is  a  plant  of  slow  growth,  and 
must  undergo  and  withstand  the  shocks  of  adversity  be 
fore  it  is  entitled  to  the  appellation. 

"  Let  your  heart  feel  for  the  afflictions  and  distresses  of 
every  one,  and  let  your  hand  give  in  proportion  to  your 
purse  ;  remembering  always  the  estimation  of  the  wi 
dow's  mite,  but,  that  it  is  not  every  one  that  asketh,  that 
deserveth  charity ;  all,  however,  are  worthy  of  the  in 
quiry,  or  the  deserving  may  suffer. 

"  Do  not  conceive  that  fine  clothes  make  fine  men,  any 
more  than  fine  feathers  make  fine  birds.  A  plain  gen 
teel  dress  is  more  admired,  and  obtains  more  credit,  than 
lace  and  embroidery,  in  the  eyes  of  the  judicious  and 
sensible. 

"  The  last  thing  which  I  shall  mention,  is  first  in  im 
portance  ;  and  that  is,  to  avoid  gaining.  This  is  a  vice 
which  is  productive  of  every  possible  evil ;  equally  in 
jurious  to  the  morals  and  health  of  its  votaries.  It  is  the 
child  of  avarice,  the  brother  of  iniquity,  and  father  of 
mischief.  Jt  has  been  the  ruin  of  many  worthy  fami 
lies,  the  loss  of  many  a  man's  honour,  and  the  cause 'of 
suicide.  To  all  those  who  enter  the  lists,  it  is  equally 
fascinating.  The  successful  gamester  pushes  his  good 
fortune,  till  it  is  overtaken  by  a  reverse.  The  losing 
gamester,  in  hopes  of  retrieving  past  misfortunes,  goes 
on  from  bad  to  worse,  till  grown  desperate,  he  pushes  at 
every  thing  and  loses  his  all.  In  a  word,  few  gain  by 
(his  abominable  practice,  while  thousands  are  injured. 


316  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"  Perhaps  you  will  say,  c  My  conduct  has  anticipated 
the  advice/  and,  l  not  one  of  the  cases  applies  to  me.'  I 
shall  be  heartily  glad  of  it.  It  will  add  not  a  little  to 
my  happiness,  to  find  those  to  whom  I  am  so  nearly  con 
nected,  pursuing  the  right  walk  of  life  ;  it  will  be  the  sure 
road  to  my  favour,  and  to  those  honours  and  places  of 
profit,  which  their  country  can  bestow  ;  as  merit  rarely 
goes  unrewarded.  I  am,  dear  Bushrod,  your  affectionate 
uncle." 

Thus  strong  and  emphatic  was  the  condemnation, 
which  these  vices  incurred  at  the  hands  of  the  Father  of 
his  Country.  Nor  will  any,  who  have  carefully  marked 
the  tone  and  spirit  of  his  admonitions,  be  disposed  to  as 
cribe  his  opposition  to  a  mere  love  of  order,  or  concern 
for  the  interests  of  the  service  in  which  he  was  engaged. 
It  is  manifest  that  his  disapprobation  was  cordial,  spring 
ing  from  a  real  and  fixed  aversion  to  the  habits  them 
selves.  They  were  offensive  to  his  sense  of  moral  and 
religious  propriety,  and  therefore  discouraged,  from  prin 
ciple,  through  every  period  of  his  life.  It  need  scarcely 
be  added,  that  his  example  was  in  harmony  with  his 
precepts,  and  was  always  considered  as  fully  authorizing 
the  decision  and  zeal  with  which  he  censured  vice  in 
those  who  were  in  any  way  subject  to  his  command. 


CHARACTER  OP  WASHINGTON.  317 


CHAPTER 


HIS      VIEWS     OF      WAR. 

THERE  is  no  fruit  of  human  corruption  more  strongly 
marked  with  the  impress  of  its  unholy  origin,  than  ag 
gressive  war.  Few  practices  known  in  our  world,  can 
be  for  a  moment  compared  with  this,  for  its  essential  ma 
lignity  of  purpose,  and  its  desolation  of  human  happiness 
and  virtue.  It  exhibits  at  once  the  strongest  proof  of  hu 
man  depravity,  and  the  fearful  connexion  established 
between  vice  and  suffering.  For  it  is  indeed  "  the  day 
of  the  Lord,  cruel  both  with  wrath  and  fierce  anger."  It 
is  a  case  in  which  retribution  pursues  transgression  with 
unwonted  rapidity.  In  many  instances  of  human  folly 
and  sin,  vengeance  slumbers  for  a  season.  But  here,  as 
if  to  deter  mankind  from  an  iniquity  thus  monstrous 
and  fatal,  the  punishment  is  so  blended  with  the  offence, 
that  the  delusive  hope  of  impunity  can  never  be  cherish 
ed.  If  the  worst  effects  of  the  storm  are  not  encoun 
tered,  yet  to  pass  through  entirely  unscathed  is  next  to  an 
impossibility.  If  the  physical  evils  are  escaped,  yet  the 
moral  will  not  be.  If  the  body  is  not  sacrificed,  yet  will 
27* 


318  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS  AND 

a  more  costly  offering  be  made  in  the  immolation  of  the 
spirit,  in  the  loss  of  its  virtue  and  its  happiness. 

"  War,"  says  a  celebrated  writer,  *  "  may  be  considered 
in  two  views, — as  it  affects  the  happiness,  and  as  it  affects 
the  virtue  of  mankind ;  as  a  source  of  misery,  and  as  a 
source  of  crimes. 

"  1.  Though  we  must  all  die,  as  the  woman  of  Te- 
koa  said,  and  are  as  water  spilt  upon  the  ground 
which  cannot  be  gathered  up,  yet  it  is  impossible  for 
a  human  mind  to  contemplate  the  rapid  extinction  of 
innumerable  lives  without  concern.  To  perish  in  a  mo 
ment,  to  be  hurried  instantaneously,  without  preparation 
and  without  warning,  into  the  presence  of  the  Supreme 
Judge,  has  something  in  it  inexpressibly  awful  and  af 
fecting War  is  the  work,  the  element,  or 

rather  the  sport  and  triumph  of  death,  who  glories,  not 
only  in  the  strength  of  his  conquests,  but  in  the  richness 
of  his  spoil.  In  the  other  methods  of  attack,  in  the  other 
forms  which  death  assumes,  the  feeble  and  the  aged, 
who  at  the  best  can  live  but  a  short  time,  are  usually  the 
victims  ;  here  it  is  the  vigorous  and  the  strong.  It  is 
remarked  by  an  ancient  historian,  that '  in  peace  children 
bury  their  parents,  in  war  parents  bury  their  children  :' 
nor  is  the  difference  small.  Children  lament  their  pa 
rents,  sincerely  indeed,  but  with  that  moderate  and  tran 
quil  sorrow  which  it  is  natural  for  those  to  feel  who  are 
conscious  of  retaining  many  tender  ties,  many  animating 
prospects.  Parents  mourn  for  their  children  with  the 
bitterness  of  despair ;  the  aged  parent,  the  widowed 
mother,  loses,  when  she  is  deprived  of  her  children, 

*  Robert  Hall. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  319 

every  thing  but  the  capacity  of  suffering ;  her  heart 
withered  and  desolate,  admits  no  other  object,  cherishes 
no  other  hope.  It  is  Rachael  weeping  for  her  children, 
and  refusing  to  be  comforted  because  they  are  not. 

"  What  a  scene  must  a  field  of  battle  present,  where 
thousands  are  left  without  assistance  and  without  pity, 
with  their  wounds  exposed  to  the  piercing  air,  while  the 
blood,  freezing  as  it  flows,  binds  them  to  the  earth,  amid 
the  trampling  of  horses  and  the  insults  of  an  enraged 
foe  !  If  they  are  spared  by  the  humanity  of  the  enemy, 
and  carried  from  the  field,  it  is  but  a  prolongation  of  tor 
ment.  Conveyed  in  uneasy  vehicles,  often  to  a  remote 
distance,  through  roads  almost  impassable,  they  are 
lodged  in  ill-prepared  receptacles  for  the  wounded  and  the 
sick,  where  the  variety  of  distress  baffles  all  the  efforts  of 
humanity  and  skill,  and  renders  it  impossible  to  give 
to  each  the  attention  he  demands.  Far  from  their  native 
home,  no  tender  assiduities  of  friendship,  no  well-known 
voice,  no  wife,  or  mother,  or  sister,  is  near  to  soothe  their 
sorrows,  relieve  their  thirst,  or  close  their  eyes  in  death. 
Unhappy  man  !  and  must  you  be  swept  into  the  grave 
unnoticed  and  unnumbered,  and  no  friendly  tear  be  shed 
for  your  sufferings  or  mingled  with  your  dust?  " 

After  other  forcible  reflections  on  the  numerous  evils 
of  war.  besides  those  which  touch  the  persons  and  lives 
of  men;  our  author  proceeds  to  make  the  following  re 
marks  on  the  influence  of  national  warfare  on  the  morals 
of  mankind. 

"  The  contests  of  nations  are  both  the  offspring  and 

the  parent  of  injustice.     The  word  of  God  ascribes  the 

existence  of  war  to  the  disorderly  passions  of  mankind. 

Whence  come  wars  and  fightings  among  you  ?  saith 


320  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

the  apostle  James  ;  come  they  not  from  your  lusts  that 
war  in  your  members  7     It  is  certain  that  two  nations 
cannot  engage  in  hostilities,  but  one  party  must  be  guilty 
of  injustice ;    and  if  the  magnitude  of  crimes  is  to  be 
estimated  by  a  regard  to  their  consequences,  it  is  difficult 
to  conceive  an  action  of  equal  guilt  with  the  wanton  vio 
lation  of  peace.     Though  something  must  generally  be 
allowed  for  the  complexness  and  intricacy  of  national 
claims,  and  the  consequent  liability  to   deception,  yet 
where  the  guilt  of  an  unjust  war  is  clear  and  manifest, 
it  sinks  every  other  crime  into  insignificance.     If  the  ex 
istence  of  war  always  implies  injustice  in  one  at  least 
of  the  parties  concerned,  it  is  also  the  fruitful  parent  of 
crimes.  It  reverses  with  respect  to  its  objects,  all  the  rules 
of  morality.     It  is  nothing  less  than  a  temporary  repeal 
of  the  principles  of  virtue.     It  is  a  system  out  of  which 
almost  all  the  virtues  are  excluded,  and  in  which  nearly 
all  the  vices  are  incorporated.     Whatever  renders  human 
nature  amiable  or  respectable,  whatever  engages  love  or 
confidence,  is  sacrificed  at  its  shrine.    In  instructing  us  to 
consider  a  portion  of  our  fellow-creatures  as  the  proper 
objects  of  enmity,  it  removes,  as  far  as  they  are  con 
cerned,  the  basis  of  all  society,  of  all  civilization  and 
virtue  ;  for  the  basis  of  these  is  the  good-will  due  to  every 
individual  of  the  species,  as  being  a  part  of  ourselves. 
From  this  principle  all  the  rules  of  social  virtue  emanate. 
Justice  and  humanity,  in  their  utmost  extent,  are  nothing 
more  than  the  practical  application  of  this  great  law. 
The  sword,  and  that  alone,  cuts  asunder  the  bond  of  con 
sanguinity  which  unites  man  to  man.    As  it  immediate 
ly  aims  at  the  extinction  of  life,  it  is  next  to  impossible, 
upon  the  principle  that  every  thing  may  be  lawfully 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  3*21 

done  to  him  whom  we  have  a  right  to  kill,  to  set  limits 
to  military  license  ;  for  when  men  pass  from  the  domina 
tion  of  reason  to  that  of  force,  whatever  restraints  are 
attempted  to  be  laid  on  the  passions  will  be  feeble  and 
fluctuating.  Though  we  must  applaud,  therefore,  the 
attempts  of  the  humane  Grotius,  to  blend  maxims  of 
humanity  with  military  operations,  it  is  to  be  feared  they 
will  never  coalesce,  since  the  former  imply  the  subsist 
ence  of  those  ties  which  the  latter  suppose  to  be  dissolved: 
Hence  the  morality  of  peaceful  times  are  directly  opposite 
to  the  maxims  of  war.  The  fundamental  rule  of  the 
first  is  to  do  good  ;  of  the  latter  to  inflict  injuries.  The 
former  commands  us  to  succour  the  oppressed ;  the 
latter  to  overwhelm  the  defenceless.  The  former  teaches 
men  to  love  their  enemies ;  the  latter  to  make  them 
selves  terrible  even  to  strangers. 

******* 

"  While  the  philanthropist  is  devising  means  to  miti 
gate  the  evils  and  augment  the  happiness  of  the  world, 
a  fellow- worker  together  with  God,  in  exploring  and  giv 
ing  effect  to  the  benevolent  tendencies  of  nature,  the  war 
rior  is  revolving  in  the  gloomy  recesses  of  his  capacious 
mind,  plans  of  future  devastation  and  ruin.  Prisons 
crowded  with  captives,  cities  emptied  of  their  inhabitants, 
fields  desolate  and  waste,  are  among  his  proudest  tro 
phies.  The  fabric  of  his  fame  is  cemented  with  tears 
and  blood  ;  and  if  his  name  is  wafted  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  it  is  in  the  shrill  cry  of  suffering  humanity  ;  in 
the  curses  and  imprecations  of  those  whom  his  sword 
has  reduced  to  despair. 

"  Let  me  not  be  understood  to  involve  in  this  guilt, 
every  man  who  engages  in  war,  or  to  assert  that  war  it- 


322  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

solf  is  in  all  cases  unlawful.  The  injustice  of  mankind, 
hitherto  incurable,  renders  it  in  some  instances  necessary, 
and  therefore  lawful ;  but  unquestionably,  these  instances 
are  much  more  rare  than  the  practice  of  the  world  and 
its  loose  casuistry  would  lead  us  to  suppose." 

In  these  just  and  eloquent  remarks  we  have  such  sen 
timents  as  might  well  be  expected  from  a  minister  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace.  But  do  not  the  sentiments  they  con 
tain  commend  themselves  to  the  cordial  approbation  of 
every  benevolent  mind?  That  they  were  the  views  en 
tertained  by  the  eminent  subject  of  these  pages,  though 
a  soldier  from  his  youth,  may  be  very  clearly  shown  by 
reference  to  his  recorded  opinions. 

In  the  year  1761,  we  find  him  expressing  himself  in 
the  following  language,  in  a  letter  written  from  Mount 
Vernon  to  Richard  Washington,  of  London  :— 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  muster  up  one  tittle  of  news 
to  communicate.  In  short,  the  occurrences  of  this  part 
of  the  world  are  at  present  scarce  worth  reciting  ;  for  as 
we  live  in  a  state  of  peaceful  tranquillity  ourselves,  so  we 
are  at  very  little  trouble  to  inquire  after  the  operations 
against  the  Cherokees,  who  are  the  only  people  that  dis 
turb  the  repose  of  this  great  continent,  and  who,  I  believe, 
would  gladly  accommodate  differences  upon  almost  any 
terms  ;  not,  1  conceive,  from  any  apprehensions  they  are 
under,  on  account  of  our  arms,  but  because  they  want 
the  supplies,  with  which  we,  and  we  only  can  furnish 
them.  We  catch  the  reports  of  peace  with  gaping  mouth, 
and  every  person  seems  anxious  for  a  confirmation  of 
that  desirable  event,  provided  it  comes,  as  no  doubt  it 
will  upon  honourable  terms," 


CHARACTER   OP   WASHINGTON.  323 

Writing  to  the  same  a  few  weeks  later  he  says : — 

"  We  have  little  or  no  news.  Our  assembly  is  at  pre 
sent  convened,  to  grant  supplies  for  carrying  on  the  war 
against  the  Cherokee  Indians,  should  they  choose  to  con 
tinue  it,  but  this  I  am  persuaded,  they  are  by  no  means 
inclined  to  do.  nor  are  they  prepared  for  it,  as  they  have 
been  soliciting  peace  for  some  time  past.  I  wisli  the 
]K)wers  of  Europe  were  as  well  disposed  to  an  accomoda- 
tion  as  these  poor  wretches.  A  stop  would  then  be  put 
to  the  effusion  of  blood,  and  peace  and  plenty  would  re 
sume  their  empire  again,  to  the  joy  and  content,  I  believe, 
of  most  ranks  and  degrees  of  people.  I  am,"  &c. 

The  same  sentiments  in  favour  of  peace  and  harmony 
among  nations,  will  be  found  in  the  subjoined  "  Answer 
to  an  address  of  the  New- York  Provincial  Congress," — 
the  date  of  the  answer  being,  New- York,  26th  June, 
1775:— 

"  Gentlemen, 

"  At  the  same  time  that  with  you  I  deplore  the  unhap 
py  necessity  of  such  an  appointment,  as  that  with  which 
I  am  now  honoured,  I  cannot  but  feel  sentiments  of  the 
highest  gratitude  for  this  affecting  instance  of  distinction 
and  regard. 

"  May  your  every  wish  be  realized  in  the  success  of 
America,  at  this  important  and  interesting  period  ;  and 
be  assured,  that  every  exertion  of  my  worthy  colleagues 
and  myself,  will  be  equally  extended  to  the  re-establish 
ment  of  peace  and  harmony  between  the  mother  coun 
try  and  the  colonies,  as  to  the  fatal  but  necessary  opera 
tions  of  war.  When  we  assumed  the  soldier,  we  did 
not  lay  aside  the  citizen  ;  and  we  shall  most  sincerely 


324  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

rejoice  with  you  in  that  happy  hour,  when  the  establish 
ment  of  American  liberty,  upon  the  most  firm  and  solid 
foundations,  shall  enable  us  to  return  to  our  private  sta 
tions  in  the  bosom  of  a  free,  peaceful,  and  happy  coun 
try.  I  am,"  &c. 

The  feelings  expressed  in  this  letter,  were  those 
which  attended  the  writer  through  every  period  and  vi 
cissitude  of  the  revolution.  Though  animated  by  a  mili 
tary  spirit,  and  eminently  qualified  for  the  operations  of 
war,  yet  was  he  heartily  averse  to  the  necessity  laid 
upon  him,  and  ever  longing  for  the  shades  of  his  own 
rural  retreat,  and  the  peaceful  employments  of  his  farm. 
He  continued  the  pursuits  of  war  from  a  solemn  con 
viction  of  duty  ;  but  so  soon  as  a  sense  of  obligation  per 
mitted,  he  hastened  away  from  the  camp  and  battle-field, 
to  the  long  desired  scenes  of  domestic  and  agricultural 
life. 

We  find  the  following  sentiments  in  a  letter  written 
to  Arthur  Young,  Esq.,  of  Great-Britain,  some  years*  after 
the  War  ;  its  date  is  Mount  Vernon,  Dec.  4,  1788  :-— 

c-  The  more  I  am  acquainted  with  agricultural  affairs, 
the  better  I  am  pleased  with  them  ;  insomuch,  that  I 
can  no  where  find  so  great  satisfaction  as  in  those  inno 
cent  and  useful  pursuits.  In  indulging  these  feelings, 
I  am  led  to  reflect  how  much  more  delightful  to  an  un- 
debauched  mind,  is  the  task  of  making  improvements 
on  the  earth,  than  all  the  vain-glory  which  can  be  ac- 
acquired  from  ravaging  it,  by  the  most  uninterrupted 
career  of  conquests.  The  design  of  this  observation,  is 
only  to  show  how  much,  as  a  member  of  human  society, 
I  feel  myself  obliged  by  your  labours  to  render  respect 
able  and  advantageous,  an  employment  which  is  more 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  325 

congenial  to  the  natural  dispositions  of  mankind,  than 
any  other." 

In  a  letter  written  about  the  same  time  to  the  secretary 
of  the  Humane  Society,  in  Boston,  the  following  views 
are  expressed : 

"  Your  respectable  favour  covering  a  recent  publica 
tion  of  the  Humane  Society,  has,  within  a  few  days 
past,  been  put  into  my  hands. 

'•I  observe,  with  singular  satisfaction,  the  cases  in  which 
your  benevolent  institution  has  been  instrumental  in  re 
calling  some  of  our  fellow-creatures  (as  it  were)  from  be 
yond  the  gates  of  eternity  ;  and  it  has  given  occasion  for 
the  hearts  of  parents  and  friends  to  leap  with  joy.  The 
provision  made  for  shipwrecked  mariners  is  also  highly 
estimable  in  the  view  of  every  philanthropic  mind,  and 
greatly  consolatory  to  the  suffering  part  of  the  commu 
nity.  These  things  will  draw  upon  you  the  blessings  of 
those  who  wrere  nigh  to  perish.  These  works  of  charity 
and  good-will  towards  men,  reflect,  in  my  estimation, 
great  lustre  upon  the  authors,  and  presage  an  era  of  still 
further  improvements. 

"  How  pitiful,  in  the  eye  of  reason  and  religion,  is  that 
false  ambition  which  desolates  the  world  with  fire  and 
sword  for  the  purposes  of  conquest  and  fame,  compared  to 
the  milder  virtues  of  making  our  neighbours  and  our 
fellow-men  as  happy  as  their  frail  conditions  and  perish 
able  natures  will  permit  them  to  be." 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  written  by  a 
Dr.  Letsom,  of  London,  to  a  friend  in  Boston,  contain 
references  to  the  above  communication  : 

"  I  received  with  great  pleasure  thy  letter  containing 
an  extract  of  another  from  General  Washington,  in 

28 


326  DELICIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

which  that  hero,  who  effected,  with  little  bloodshed,  the 
greatest  revolution  in  history,  breathes  the  sentiments  of 
true  philanthropy. 

"  I  have  not  the  honour  of  knowing,  or  corresponding 
with  General  Washington,  but  if  any  opportunity  offers, 
might  I  presume  upon  communicating  to  him  the  cor 
dial  approbation  his  humane  sentiments  have  impressed 
upon  me  ?  A  warrior  clothed  with  humanity  and  wis 
dom,  is  the  symbol  of  Minerva ;  and  few  have  united 
them.  Turenne  had  courage  and  some  degree  of  hu 
manity  ;  but  he  it  was  that  burnt  the  Palatinate,  and 
had  the  Nero-like  pleasure  of  seeing  thirteen  cities  in 
flames.  Scipio's  humanity  was  stained  with  the  destruc 
tion  of  Carthage;  and  Rome  fell  for  want  of  a  rival. 
Alexander  the  Great,  and  the  modern  Frederick,  had 
their  stains  of  cruelty.  But  your  HERO,  without  the 
lictor  of  Cincinnatus,  was  obeyed  : — Conquers  and  re 
tires,  without  the  foul  stain  of  blood. 

"  Our  anniversary  dinner  was  attended  by  about  500. 
In  my  address  to  those  gentlemen,  ex-officio,  being  trea 
surer,  I  introduced  the  extract  from  General  Washing 
ton's  letter,  as  a  part  of  my  speech,  which  was  received 
with  exclamations  and  plaudits.  Lord  Fife,  the  Bishop 
of  St.  David's,  Lord  Stamford,  and  Lord  Willoughby  de 
Broke,  were  present." 

The  sincerity  of  Washington's  professions  was  never 
rendered  questionable  by  a  single  instance  of  aggressive 
war  on  his  part.  He  always  fought  in  self-defence,  in  sup 
port  of  the  rights,  liberties,  and  lives,  of  his  fellow-country 
men  Nor  did  he  ever  seek  to  prolong  the  contest  from  mo 
tives  of  ambition  or  gain.  He  ever  ardently  desired  the 
cessation  of  hostilities,  and  the  grateful  return  of  peace, 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  237 

harmony  and  good-will.  War  was  not  a  game  in  which 
he  sought  amusement  at  the  expense  of  others,  but  a  last 
resort,  in  whose  dangers  and  toils  he  always  bore  his  full 
share,  and  from  which  he  sought  release,  as  soon  as 
conscience  and  honour  would  permit.  The  spirit  in 
which  he  contended  was  that  which  secured  the  favour 
of  a  righteous  Providence,  and  the  approbation  of  all 
good  men.  If  the  same  principles  were  universally 
cherished  by  those  who  rule  the  destinies  of  nations,  the 
auspicious  day  would  soon  dawn  upon  the  world, 'in 
which  the  people  "  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plough 
shares,  and  their  spears  into  pruning-hooks ;  in  which, 
nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither 
shall  they  learn  war  any  more." 


328  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HIS    VIEWS    OF     DUELLING. 

IT  is  one  of  the  pleasing  indications  of  a  growing  re 
finement  in  morals  and  manners,  that  Duelling  has 
lost  in  our  age,  much  of  its  imposing  lustre,  as  a  chival 
rous  and  dignified  custom.  The  lights  of  knowledge 
and  religion  have  unveiled  its  true  character,  and  reveal 
ed  it  as  a  barbarous  practice,  worthy  of  its  gothic  origin, 
and  founded  in  principles  as  fatal  to  the  peace  and  stabi 
lity  of  the  social  state,  as  they  are  derogatory  to  the  honour 
and  authority  of  God. 

There  is.  however,  delusion  enough  on  the  subject  still 
lingering  among  men,  to  claim  in  this  connection,  a  few 
remarks  in  illustration  of  the  evil  and  mischievous  nature 
of  the  vice. 

The  divine  command,  prohibiting  the  destruction  of 
human  life,  is  violated  in  various  ways,  as  moralists  de 
cide.  Among  these  there  are  none  more  justly  exposed 
to  the  withering  imputation,  than  the  one  now  under 
consideration.  In  Duelling,  we  have  all  the  real  con 
stituents  of  this  sin.  Where  a  challenge  is  given  and 
accepted,  there  is  assuredly,  in  the  great  majority  of  in 
stances  at  least,  a  design  to  kill  cherished  by  both  par- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  329 

ties.  This  is  evinced  as  clearly  as  outward  actions  can 
indicate  the  inward  dispositions.  It  is  rendered  manifest 
by  every  step  taken  in  the  honourable  affair,  from  the 
selection  of  deadly  weapons,  down  to  the  fatal  aim  at 
the  seat  of  life,  in  the  hour  of  bloody  combat.  What 
ever  aggravation  arises  from  deliberate  intention,  also  atr 
tends  the  deed.  The  challenge  is  usually  given  after  time 
has  been  taken  for  reflection,  and  it  is  accepted  under 
the  same  circumstances.  Can  it  be  said,  notwithstand 
ing,  that  there  is  no  intention  to  destroy  life?  What} 
then,  is  the  intention?  Is  it  to  be  killed?  This 
cannot  be.  Does  not  hatred,  or  revenge,  ordinarily 
prompt  the  whole  proceeding  ?  If  it  is  ever  otherwise,  is 
it  not  an  exception  to  a  general  rule  ?  There  has  been 
a  real  or  imaginary  injury  received,  and  anger  kindles 
within  the  bosom  a  thirst  for  blood.  Thus  the  Holy 
Scriptures  declare  that  "  he  that  is  angry  with  his  brother 
without  a  cause,  and  he  that  hateth  his  brother  is  a  mur 
derer."  If  the  principle,  though  not  revealed  in  the 
conduct,  is  thus  regarded  as  murder,  in  the  bud,  what 
shall  be  thought  of  its  practical  development  in  the  posi 
tive  attempt  to  kill.  It  is  an  imposition  on  the  common 
sense  of  mankind  to  assign  other  motives  to  such  con 
duct,  or  to  palliate  the  enormity  of  the  act,  by  referring  it 
to  other  principles  than  those  which  manifestly  prompt 
it.  Regarded  in  its  most  favourable  aspect — as  a  sacri 
fice  to  public  opinion,  the  extenuation  is  very  slight ;  for 
even  in  that  case,  without  any  just  warrant,  the  hazard 
is  run  of  the  most  dreadful  consequences.  The  loss  of 
two  lives  is  risked,  with  all  the  distressing  effects  to  re 
latives  and  friends.  Those  who,  perhaps,  claim  the 
care  and  protection  of  a  husband  and  a  father,  may  be 
left  forlorn  and  desolate.  The  light  of  hope  may  be  ex- 

28* 


330  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

tinguished,  and  all  the  evils  of  friendless  widowhood, 
and  helpless  orphanage,  come  upon  them.  It  is  useless, 
however,  to  enlarge.  Whatever  human  ingenuity  may 
devise  in  its  vindication,  there  is  no  crime  more  palpa 
bly  or  grossly  wicked  in  itself ;  none  more  justly  exposed 
to  the  anathemas  of  Heaven,  or  the  reprobation  of  men. 
Nor  can  we  rejoice  too  much  in  those  just  and  humane 
sentiments,  which  at  length  to  a  great  extent,  have  ar 
rayed  against  it  the  solemn  enactments  of  law,  and  the 
stern  decisions  of  judicial  officers  and  civil  rulers. 

What  the  views  of  Washington  were,  in  reference  to 
this  barbarous  practice,  may  be  inferred  from  an  occur 
rence  of  his  early  years,  of  which  the  following  facts  are 
the  most  prominent : 

In  the  year  1754,  when  about  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  he  was  stationed  in  Alexandria,  as  Colonel  of  a 
regiment  of  Virginia  troops.  During  his  stay  in  that 
town,  an  election  for  members  of  the  House  of  Burgesses 
took  place.  The  candidates  were  Colonel  George  Fair 
fax  and  a  Mr.  Elzey.  His  warm  friendship  for  Colonel 
Fairfax  brought  him  in  collision  with  a  Mr.  Payne, 
the  friend  of  Mr.  Elzey.  In  consequence  of  some  offen 
sive  language  into  which  he  was  betrayed  towards 
Mr.  Payne,  that  individual  struck  him  with  a  stick, 
and  so  violent  was  the  blow,  that  it  knocked  him  down. 
There  being  a  great  excitement  among  the  officers  and 
men  belonging  to  his  regiment,  because  of  this  indignity 
offered  their  beloved  commander,  he  forthwith  employed 
his  influence  in  allaying  the  tumult,  and  then  retired 
to  his  lodgings  in  a  public  house.  From  thence  he 
wrote  a  note  to  Mr.  Payne,  requesting  that  he  would 
meet  him  next  morning  at  the  tavern,  as  he  wished  to 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  331 

see  him  in  reference  to  their  recent  disagreement.  Payne, 
in  expectation  of  an  unpleasant  interview,  repaired  ac 
cordingly  to  the  appointed  place,  and  instead  of  a  hostile 
meeting,  found  Washington  prepared  to  acknowledge 
his  fault,  and  solicit  pardon  for  the  offence  given  in  an 
unguarded  moment.  It  is  needless  to  say,  that  Payne 
witnessed  with  admiration,  this  triumph  of  principle  over 
passion,  and  that  a  friendship  was  kindled  in  his  bosom, 
which  he  did  not  cease  to  cherish  as  long  as  he  lived. 

How  noble  and  becoming  was  this  conduct.  It  was 
especially  admirable  in  a  youthful  soldier,  whose  very 
profession  exposed  him  to  peculiar  temptations  on  such 
an  occasion.  How  many  would  have  been  driven  by 
the  fear  of  reproach,  and  dread  of  unfavourable  insinu 
ations,  to  incur  the  hazards  of  a  duel ;  thus  offering 
up  at  the  shrine  of  honour  the  costly  sacrifice  of  hu 
man  life.  It  was  not  possible  that  a  man  like  Wash 
ington,  so  endowed  with  moral  courage  and  regard  for 
virtue,  should  be  moved  by  the  fear  of  man  to  such 
a  course.  He  dreaded  not  the  charge  of  cowardice 
from  the  mouths  of  fools.  In  his  own  bosom  he  had 
its  ample  refutation.  He  was  conscious  of  a  fortitude 
which  no  dangers  could  shake.  To  display  it  in  mur 
dering  a  fellow-citizen  was  not  his  ambition.  He  had  be 
fore  him  the  tented  field  and  the  enemies  of  his  country, 
and  he  was  pledged  for  the  hazards  of  a  mortal  conflict 
in  her  defence.  Here  he  was  willing  to  show  his  cour 
age,  and  lay  down  his  life.  He  would  not  do  so  to  gra 
tify  revenge,  or  win  applause  from  the  vain. 

An  incident  attending  the  history  of  General  Lafayette, 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  afforded  another  occa- 


332  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

sion  for  evincing  his  principles  in  reference  to  this  perni 
cious  custom. 

Having  it  in  view  to  send  a  challenge  to  Lord  Carlisle, 
President  of  the  Board  of  British  Commissioners,  on  ac 
count  of  offensive  language  towards  France,  sanctioned 
by  him  in  an  address  to  Congress  ;  Lafayette,  as  in 
duty  bound,  wrote  to  General  Washington,  requesting  his 
opinion  of  the  propriety  of  the  proposed  course,  and  re 
ceived  the  following  reply  : — 

"FisHKiUL,  4th  Oct.,  1778. 

"  My  Dear  Marquis, 

"  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving,  by  the  hands 
of  Monsieur  de  la  Colombe,  your  favour  of  the  28th  ulti 
mo,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  24th,  which  he  overtook 
some  where  on  the  road.  The  leave  requested  in  the 
former,  I  am  as  much  interested  to  grant,  as  to  refuse 
my  approbation  of  the  challenge  proposed  in  the  latter. 
The  generous  spirit  of  chivalry,  exploded  by  the  rest  of 
the  world,  finds  a  refuge,  rny  dear  friend,  in  the  sensi 
bility  of  your  nation  only.  But  it  is  in  vain  to  cherish 
it,  unless  you  can  find  antagonists  to  support  it ;  and 
however  well  adapted  it  might  have  been  to  the  times 
in  which  it  existed,  in  our  days  it  is  to  be  feared,  that 
your  opponent,  sheltering  himself  behind  modern  opin 
ions,  and  under  his  present  public  character  of  commis 
sioner,  would  turn  a  virtue  of  such  ancient  date  into 
ridicule.  Besides,  supposing  his  Lordship  accepted  your 
terms,  experience  has  proved,  that  chance  is  often  as 
much  concerned  in  deciding  these  matters  as  bravery ; 
and  always  more  than  the  justice  of  the  cause.  I  would 
not,  therefore,  have  your  life  by  the  remotest  possibility 
exposed,  when  it  may  be  reserved  for  so  many  greater 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  333 

occasions.  His  Excellency,  the  Admiral,  1  flatter  my 
self,  will  be  in  sentiment  with  me  ;  and,  as  soon  as  he 
can  spare  you,  will  send  you  to  head-quarters,  where  I 
anticipate  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you.  " 

In  a  letter  to  the  French  Admiral,  written  some  weeks 
after  the  above,  he  again  refers  to  this  subject : — 

'•  The  coincidence  between  your  Excellency's  senti 
ments,  respecting  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette's  challenge, 
communicated  in  the  letter  with  which  you  honoured 
me  on  the  20th,  and  those  which  I  expressed  to  him  on 
the  same  subject,  is  peculiarly  flattering  to  me.  I  am 
happy  to  rind  that  my  disapprobation  of  this  measure 
was  founded  on  the  same  arguments,  which,  in  your 
Excellency's  hands,  acquire  new  force  and  persuasion. 
I  omitted  neither  serious  reasoning  nor  pleasantry  to 
divert  him  from  a  scheme,  in  which  he  could  be  so 
easily  foiled,  without  having  any  credit  given  to  him  by 
his  antagonist  for  his  generosity  and  sensibility.  He 
intimated,  that  your  Excellency  did  not  discountenance 
it,  and  that  he  had  pledged  himself  to  the  principal  offi 
cers  of  the  French  squadron,  to  carry  it  into  execution. 
The  charms  of  vindicating  the  honour  of  his  country 
were  irresistible  ;  but,  besides,  he  had  in  a  manner  com 
mitted  himself,  and  could  not  decently  retract,  i  how 
ever  continued  to  lay  my  friendly  commands  upon  him 
to  renounce  his  project ;  but  I  was  well  assured  that,  if 
he  determined  to  persevere  in  it,  neither  authority  nor 
vigilance  would  be  of  any  avail  to  prevent  his  message 
to  Lord  Carlisle.  And  though  his  ardour  overreached  my 
advice  and  influence,  I  console  myself  with  the  reflec 
tion,  that  his  Lordship  will  not  accept  the  challenge ; 
arid  that  while  our  friend  gains  all  the  applause,  which 


334  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

is  due  to  him  for  wishing  to  become  the  champion  of 
his  country,  he  will  be  secure  from  the  possibility  of 
such  dangers  as  my  fears  would  otherwise  create  for 
him.  by  those  powerful  barriers,  which  shelter  his  Lord 
ship,  and  which  I  am  persuaded  he  will  not  in  the 
present  instance  violate. 

"  The  report  of  Lord  Carlisle's  having  proposed  a 
substitute,  reached  me  for  the  first  time,  in  your  Excel 
lency's  letter.  If  this  is  really  the  case,  his  Lordship  has 
availed  himself  of  one  of  the  ways  in  which  he  was  at 
liberty  to  waive  the  Marquis's  defiance,  and  has  probably 
answered  it  in  a  strain  of  pleasantry  ;  for  the  affair  being 
wholly  personal,  his  Lordship  could  not  have  made  such 
a  proposition  seriously.  Indeed  I  have  every  reason  to 
think,  that  the  matter  has  terminated  as  I  expected ;  for 
the  Marquis  was  still  in  Philadelphia  by  my  last  accounts 
from  thence." 

Thus  decided  was  Washington  in  his  opposition  to  the 
proposed  combat.  In  his  view,  the  principle  was  one, 
however  sanctioned  by  the  practice  of  barbarous  ages, 
yet  justly  exploded  by  modern  opinions,  and  rendered 
unreasonable  by  the  inadequacy  of  the  means  to  the  con 
templated  end.  He  does  not,  indeed,  dwell  on  the  wrong 
feelings  which  usually  enter  into  such  matters,  for  the 
case  and  the  circumstances  were  not  of  the  ordinary 
kind.  The  parties  were  already  at  war.  They  were 
arrayed  against  each  other,  like  David  and  Goliath  of 
old,  on  opposite  sides  of  a  great  national  contest.  It  was 
therefore  more  difficult  to  assign  their  true  character,  to 
the  feelings  which  prompted  Lafayette  to  seek  the  en 
counter.  Had  they  met  in  the  field  of  battle,  none  would 
have  condemned  an  effort  made  by  the  youthful  friend 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  335 

of  America,  to  destroy  the  enemy  of  her  liberties.  He 
would  have  been  regarded  as  discharging  a  high  duty 
to  the  cause  in  which  he  had  embarked.  Such,  indeed, 
were  not  his  avowed  motives  in  the  case  before  us.  It 
was  professedly  to  avenge  an  insult  offered  his  own 
country.  In  this  there  was  a  needless  exposure  of  his 
own  life  contemplated,  together  with  a  wanton  risk  of 
shedding  the  blood  of  another ;  a  risk  which  was  not  re 
quired  by  the  nature  of  the  contest  in  which  they  were 
respectively  engaged.  And  yet  there  was  enough  in 
the  circumstances  to  perplex  the  subject  in  a  degree,  and 
by  presenting  it  in  a  somewhat  tangled  form  to  the  mind 
of  Washington,  serve  to  soften  the  judgment  which  would 
be  expressed  by  him  concerning  the  measure.  He  was, 
however,  positive  in  his  disapprobation.  And  if  he  was 
so,  under  such  circumstances,  when  the  antagonist  was 
a  declared  enemy,  and  the  end,  the  vindication  of  a 
national  wrong, — what  would  have  been  his  judgment 
in  cases  where  the  disagreement  was  between  friends, 
and  the  offence  private  and  trivial,  if  not  altogether  im 
aginary.  Would  he  not  have  visited  with  unqualified 
censure  a  proceeding,  so  causeless  in  its  origin,  and  like 
ly  in  its  results  to  be  attended  by  deplorable  evils.  A 
slight  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  his  character,  will  suffice 
to  assure  us  of  his  hostility  to  a  thing  so  absurd  in  itsel 
and  mischievous  in  its  consequences. 


336  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

HIS     DEATH. 

IT  is  not  to  the  death,  but  to  the  life  of  the  Christian, 
that  we  look  for  the  proof  of  faith  and  test  of  character. 
So  many  accidents  may  arise  to  cloud  his  expiring  mo 
ments  and  deprive  him  of  self-possession,  that  they  can 
not  be  regarded  as  furnishing,  generally,  a  safe  criterion  of 
piety  or  hope.  Death  may  suddenly  overtake  him ;  or  his 
disease  may  be  attended  by  such  unfavourable  influ 
ences,  as   to  preclude  the   possibility  of  any  decisive  ex 
hibition  of  thought  or  feeling.     The  mind  may  be  ab 
sorbed  by  extreme  bodily  pain,  or  delirium  may  entirely 
derange  its  action,  extinguishing  its  lights  and  embarass- 
ing   all   its  perceptions.      Every  thing   in   the  closing 
scene  may  thus  be  indefinite  and  confused  ;  the  believer 
travels  through  the  shadow  of  death  in  a  state  of  dim 
eclipse  ;  though  he  is  in  fact  unchanged  in  principle,  and 
as  much  an  object  of  divine  approbation  and  complacency, 
as  in  his  brightest  seasons  of  devout  enjoyment  and  de 
light. 

The  Scriptures,  while  they  record  the  piety  and  display 
the  virtues  of  many  distinguished  worthies,  never  point 
us  to  their  death-bed  for  proof  of  sincerity  or  confirma- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  337 

tion  of  excellence.  It  is  to  their  lives  that  they  mainly 
direct  our  attention  for  scrutiny  and  imitation.  The 
servants  of  God  have,  in  all  ages,  been  more  or  less 
favoured  with  grace  to  help  them  in  death,  and  some 
times  they  have  gloriously  triumphed  in  the  hour  of 
dissolution.  But  the  majority  have  rather  adorned  re 
ligion  by  holy  lives,  than  by  happy  deaths.  The  lan 
guage  of  Scripture  on  this  subject  is,  "  Mark  the  perfect 
man,  and  behold  the  upright,  for  the  end  of  that  man  is 
peace"  His  death-bed  is  attended  by  peace,  rather 
than  rapture.  This  he  may  not  always  enjoy.  But 
there  is  good  ground  for  hope,  that  such  will  be  the  allot 
ment  of  the  righteous,  in  his  last  hour.  Less  than  this 
is  indeed  often  ordained  by  Him,  who  does  all  things  after 
the  counsel  of  his  own  will,  but  more  also  has  been  oc 
casionally  in  mercy  vouchsafed. 

A  pious  and  useful  writer*  has  the  following  observa 
tions  on  this  subject : 

"  Thus  it  is  said,  l  The  righteous  hath  hope  in  his 
death.'  The  degrees  of  this  hope  vary.  In  some  we  see 
this  hope  contending  with  fear,  and  not  always  able  to 
repel  it.  In  some  it  produces  a  serenity  in  which  the 
mind  is  stayed  upon  God,  yet  unattended  with  any 
higher  feeling  and  pleasure ;  while  some  possess  and 
display  the  full  assurance  of  hope ;  and  have  an  en 
trance  ministered  unto  them  abundantly  into  the  ever 
lasting  kingdom  of  their  Lord  and  Saviour. 

******** 

"  Now  we  are  not  going  to  claim  this  joy  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory ;  or  even  this  perfect  peace ;  or  even 


*  Jay. 

29 


338  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

this  supporting  confidence,  for  all  Christians  in  their 
dying  moments.  And  yet  we  mean  to  say  that  the 
highest  degree  is  attainable. 

******* 

"  The  useful  death,  however,  is  not  that  only  which 
abounds  with  ecstasy  and  rapture;  but  also  that  in 
which  an  inferior  degree  of  confidence  is  blended  with 
patience  under  suffering,  submission  to  the  will  of  God, 
humbleness  of  mind,  penitence  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  a 
concern  to  recommend  the  Saviour's  service  and  to  pro 
mote  his  cause.  This,  if  it  does  not  excite  so  much  won 
der  and  discourse,  is  more  exemplary.  A  death,  too, 
strikes  us  where  we  see  a  victory  over  the  world  ;  when 
the  individual  is  willing  to  depart,  though  not  pressed  by 
the  infirmities  and  pains  of  age ;  but  in  the  midst  of  life  : 
and  leaving  not  a  scene  of  penury  and  wretchedness 
behind,  but  every  present  attraction  and  agreeable  pros 
pect.  We  also  prize  a  death  preceded  by  a  holy  and 
consistent  life," 

With  these  remarks  we  pass  to  the  death  of  Washing 
ton.  Of  that  event  we  have  but  one  account  in  any  de 
gree  extended  or  minute.  This  is  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
Tobias  Lear,  for  some  years  his  private  Secretary;  and 
connected  by  marriage  with  a  branch  of  his  family.  The 
account  is  here  copied  as  leading  to  reflections  appro 
priate  to  the  subject. 

"  On  Thursday,  Dec.  12,  1799,  the  General  rode  out 
to  his  farms  at  about  ten  o'clock,  and  did  not  return  till 
past  three.  Soon  after  he  went  out,  the  weather  became 
very  bad  ;  rain,  hail,  and  snow  falling  alternately,  with 
a  cold  wind.  When  he  came  in,  I  carried  some  letters 
to  him  to  frank,  intending  to  send  them  to  the  post-office. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  339 

He  franked  the  letters,  but  said  the  weather  was  too 
bad  to  send  a  servant  to  the  office  that  evening.  I  ob 
served  to  him  that  I  was  afraid  he  had  got  wet ;  he  said 
no  ;  his  great  coat  had  kept  him  dry :  but  his  neck  ap 
peared  to  be  wet — the  snow  was  hanging  on  his  hair. 

"  He  came  to  dinner  without  changing  his  dress.  In 
the  evening  he  appeared  as  well  as  usual.  A  heavy  fall 
of  snow  took  place  on  Friday,  which  prevented  the  Ge 
neral  from  riding  out  as  usual.  He  had  taken  cold, 
(undoubtedly  from  being  so  much  exposed  the  day  be 
fore,)  and  complained  of  having  a  sore  throat ;  he  had  a 
hoarseness,  which  increased  in  the  evening,  but  he  made 
light  of  it,  as  he  would  never  take  any  thing  to  carry 
off  a  cold — always  observing,  Met  it  go  as  it  came.'  In 
the  evening,  the  papers  having  come  from  the  post-office, 
he  sat  in  the  room  with  Mrs.  Washington  and  myself, 
reading  them  till  about  nine  o'clock  ;  and  when  he  met 
with  any  thing  which  he  thought  diverting  or  interest 
ing,  he  would  read  it  aloud.  He  desired  me  to  read  to 
him  the  debates  of  the  Virginia  assembly  on  the  election 
of  a  senator  and  governour,  which  I  did.  On  his  retiring 
to  bed  he  appeared  to  be  in  perfect  health,  except  the  cold, 
which  he  considered  as  trifling  ;  he  had  been  remarkably 
cheerful  all  the  evening. 

<(  About  two  or  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning,  he 
awoke  Mrs.  Washington,  and  informed  her  that  he  felt 
very  unwell,  and  had  an  ague.  She  observed  that  he 
could  scarcely  speak,  and  breathed  with  difficulty,  and 
she  wished  to  get  up  and  call  a  servant ;  but  he  would 
not  permit  h  r  lest  she  should  take  cold.  As  soon  as 
the  day  appeared,  the  woman,  Caroline,  went  into  the 
room  to  make  a  fire,  and  the  General  desired  that  Mr. 


340  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

Rawlins,  one  of  the  overseers,  who  was  used  to  bleeding 
the  people,  might  be  sent  for  to  bleed  him  before  the  doc 
tor  could  arrive.  I  was  sent  for — went  to  the  General's 
chamber,  where  Mrs.  Washington  was  up,  and  related 
to  me  his  being  taken  ill  between  two  and  three  o'clock, 
as  before  stated.  I  found  him  breathing  with  difficulty, 
and  hardly  able  to  utter  a  word  intelligibly.  I  went  out 
instantly,  and  wrote  a  line  to  Dr.  Plask,  and  sent  it  with 
all  speed.  Immediately  I  returned  to  the  General's 
chamber,  where  I  found  him  in  the  same  situation  I  had 
left  him.  A  mixture  of  molasses,  vinegar,  and  butter, 
was  prepared,  but  he  could  not  swallow  a  drop ;  when 
ever  he  attempted  he  was  distressed,  convulsed  and  al 
most  suffocated. 

"  Mr.  Rawlins  came  in  soon  after  sunrise  and  pre 
pared  to  bleed  him ;  when  the  arm  was  ready,  the  Ge 
neral,  observing  Rawlins  appeared  agitated,  said,  with 
difficulty,  c  don't  be  afraid  ;'  and  after  the  incision  was 
made,  he  observed  the  orifice  was  riot  large  enough : 
however,  the  blood  ran  pretty  freely.  Mrs.  Washington, 
not  knowing  whether  bleeding  was  proper  in  the  Gene 
ral's  situation,  begged  that  much  might  not  be  taken  from 
him,  and  desired  me  to  stop  it.  When  I  was  about  to 
untie  the  string,  the  General  put  up  his  hand  to  prevent 
it,  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak,  said  « more.' 

"  Mrs.  Washington  still  uneasy  lest  too  much  blood 
should  be  drawn,  it  was  stopped  after  about  half  a  pint 
had  been  taken.  Finding  that  no  relief  was  obtained 
from  bleeding,  and  that  nothing  could  be  swallowed,  I 
proposed  bathing  the  throat  externally  with  sal  volatile, 
which  was  done  ;  a  piece  of  flannel  was  then  put  round 
his  neck.  His  feet  were  also  soaked  ii>  warm  water,  but 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  341 

this  gave  no  relief.  By  Mrs.  Washington's  request  I 
despatched  a  messenger  for  Dr.  Brown,  at  Port  Tobacco. 
About  nine  o'clock  Dr.  Craik  arrived,  and  put  a  blister  of 
cantharides  on  the  throat  of  the  General,  and  took  more 
blood,  and  had  some  vinegar  arid  hot  water  set  in  a  tea 
pot,  for  him  to  draw  in  the  steam  from  the  spout. 

';  He  also  had  sage  tea  and  vinegar  mixed,  and  used 
as  a  gargle,  but  when  he  held  back  his  head  to  let  it  run 
down,  it  almost  produced  suffocation.  When  the  mix 
ture  came  out  of  his  mouth  some  phlegm  followed  it, 
and  he  would  attempt  to  cough,  which  the  doctor  en 
couraged,  but  without  effect.  About  eleven  o'clock,  Dr. 
Dick  was  sent  for :  Dr.  Craik  bled  the  General  again  ; 
no  effect  was  produced,  and  he  continued  in  the  same 
state,  unable  to  swallow  any  thing.  Dr.  Dick  came  in 
about  three  o'clock,  and  Dr.  Brown  arrived  soon  after ; 
when,  after  consultation,  the  General  was  bled  again : 
the  blood  ran  slowly,  appeared  very  thick,  and  did  not 
produce  any  symptoms  of  fainting.  At  four  o'clock  the 
General  could  swallow  a  little.  Calomel  and  tartar 
emetic  were  administered  without  effect.  About  half-past 
four  o'clock  he  requested  me  to  ask  Mrs.  Washington  to 
come  to  his  bed-side,  when  he  desired  her  to  go  down  to 
his  room,  and  take  from  his  desk  two  wills  which  she 
would  find  there,  and  bring  them  to  him,  which  she  did. 
Upon  looking  at  one,  which  he  observed  was  useless,  he 
desired  her  to  burn  it,  which  she  did.  After  this  was 
done,  I  returned  again  to  his  bed-side  and  took  his  hand. 
He  said  to  me,  'I  find  I  am  going — my  breath  cannot 
continue  long — I  believed  from  the  first  attack  it  would 
be  fatal.  Do  you  arrange  and  record  all  my  military  let 
ters  and  papers ;  arrange  my  accounts,  and  settle  my 
29* 


342  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

books,  as  you  know  more  about  them  than  any  one  else  ; 
arid  let  Mr.  Rawlins  finish  recording  my  other  letters, 
which  he  has  begun.'  He  asked  when  Mr.  Lewis  and 
Washington  would  return?  I  told  him  that  I  believed 
about  the  twentieth  of  the  month.  He  made  no  reply. 

"  The  physicians  carne  in  between  five  and  six  o'clock, 
and  when  they  came  to  his  bed-side,  Dr.  Craik  asked  him 
if  he  would  sit  up  in  the  bed :  he  held  out  his  hand  to 
me  and  was  raised  up,  when  he  said  to  the  physician — 
'  I  feel  myself  going ;  you  had  better  not  take  any  more 
trouble  about  me,  but  let  me  go  off  quietly  ;  I  cannot  last 
long.'  They  found  what  had  been  done  was  without  ef 
fect  ;  he  laid  down  again,  and  they  retired,  excepting  Dr. 
Craik.  He  then  said  to  him,  <  Doctor,  I  die  hard,  but  I 
am  not  afraid  to  go  ;  I  believed  from  the  first  1  should 
not  survive  it ;  my  breath  cannot  last  long.'  The  doctor 
pressed  his  hand,  but  could  not  utter  a  word  ;  he  retired 
from  the  bed-side  and  sat  by  the  fire  absorbed  in  grief. 
About  eight  o'clock,  the  physicians  again  came  into  the 
room,  and  applied  blisters  to  his  legs,  but  went  out  with 
out  a  ray  of  hope.  From  this  time  he  appeared  to  breathe 
with  less  difficulty  than  he  had  done,  but  was  very  rest 
less,  continually  changing  his  position,  to  endeavour  to 
get  ease.  I  aided  him  all  in  my  power,  and  was  grati 
fied  in  believing  he  felt  it ;  for  he  would  look  upon  me 
with  eyes  speaking  gratitude,  but  unable  to  utter  a  word 
without  great  distress.  About  ten  o'clock  he  made  several 
attempts  to  speak  to  me  before  he  could  effect  it ;  at 
length  he  said,  '  I  am  just  going.  Have  me  decently 
buried,  and  do  not  let  my  body  be  put  into  the  vault  in 
less  than  two  days  after  I  am  dead.'  I  bowed  assent. 
He  looked  at  me  again  and  said,  '  Do  you  understand 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  343 

me  ?'  I  replied,  '  Yes,  Sir.'  '  'Tis  well,'  said  he.  About 
ten  minutes  before  he  expired,  his  breathing  became 
much  easier :  he  lay  quietly  :  he  withdrew  his  hand 
from  mine,  and  felt  his  own  pulse.  I  spoke  to  Dr. 
Craik,  who  sat  by  the  fire  ;  he  came  to  the  bed-side.  The 
General's  hand  fell  from  his  wrist ;  I  took  it  in  mine, 
and  placed  it  on  my  breast.  Dr.  Craik  placed  his  hands 
over  his  eyes  ;  and  he  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a 
sigh." 

The  above  contains  no  doubt  an  accurate  relation  as 
far  as  it  goes,  of  the  circumstances  attending  the  last  sick 
ness  and  death  of  Washington.  That  the  account  is 
not  perfect,  we  believe,  however,  to  be  equally  certain. 
We  are  assured  on  good  evidence,  that  some  things  of 
interest  were  overlooked,  or  at  least  omitted  by  the 
writer.  It  is  indeed  a  matter  of  regret  that  the  indivi 
duals  who  attended  the  Father  of  his  Country  in  his 
last  moments,  were  not  such  as  would  most  readily  en 
courage  the  expression  of  his  religious  feelings,  or  care 
fully  record  them  when  uttered.  The  author  of  the 
memoranda,  it  is  known,  had  but  little  sympathy  with 
the  illustrious  subject  of  his  narrative  in  reference  to 
religion  ;  nor  had  his  other  attendants,  it  is  believed,  any 
more,  at  least  at  that  time,  though  professionally  eminent 
and  distinguished  men.  It  was  probably  thought,  that 
this  was  not  the  point  of  highest  worth  and  dignity  in  his 
noble  character  ;  and  therefore  not  to  be  displayed  with 
very  special  care  and  effort.  This  may  explain  in  some 
measure  the  omission  of  interesting  remarks  and  occur 
rences,  as  being,  from  their  nature,  undervalued  or  mis 
understood.  Such  facts,  therefore,  as  are  known  to  have 


344  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

transpired,  in  addition  to  those  recorded  by  Mr.  Lear, 
shall  be  here  inserted  for  the  gratification  and  instruction 
of  our  readers. 

One  of  the  Rectors  of  Mount  Vernon  parish,  already 
referred  to,  and  who  was  at  much  pains  to  ascertain  the 
most  interesting  events  of  Washington's  life  and  death, 
informs  us,  in  remarking  on  the  latter  occurrence,  that  he 
was  once  or  twice  heard  to  say,  "  I  should  have  been 
glad,  had  it  pleased  God,  to  die  a  little  easier,  but  I  doubt 
not  it  is  for  my  good." 

On  the  same  authority  we  learn  that  "  some  hours  be 
fore  his  departure,  he  made  the  request  that  every  person 
would  leave  the  room,  that  he  might  be  alone  for  a  short 
time." 

The  same  writer  says,  that  in  the  moment  of  death, 
"he  closed  his  eyes  for  the  last  time  with  his  own 
hands — folded  his  arms  decently  on  his  breast,  then 
breathing  out  '  Father  of  mercies,  take  me  to  thy 
self—^  fell  asleep." 

The  biographer  of  Mrs.  Washington  gives  the  follow 
ing  facts :  — 

"  The  illness  [of  Washington]  was  short  and  severe. 
Mrs.  Washington  left  not  the  chamber  of  the  sufferer, 
but  was  seen  kneeling  at  the  bed-side,  her  head  resting 
upon  her  Bible,  which  had  been  her  solace  in  the  many 

and  heavy  afflictions  she  had  undergone The 

last  effort  of  the  expiring  Washington,  was  worthy  of 
the  Roman  fame  of  his  life  and  character.  He  raised 
himself  up,  and  casting  a  look  of  benignity  on  all 
around  him,  as  if  to  thank  them  for  their  kindly  atten 
tions,  he  composed  his  limbs,  closed  his  eyes,  and  fold- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  345 

ing  his  arms  upon  his  bosom,  the  Father  of  his  Country 
expired,  gently  as  though  an  infant  died  ! 

'•  The  afflicted  relict  could  with  difficulty  be  re 
moved  from  the  chamber  of  death,  to  which  she  returned 
no  more,  but  occupied  other  apartments  for  the  residue 
of  her  days." 

That  the  circumstances  now  detailed,  may  be  duly 
appreciated,  the  habitual  thoughtfulness  of  Washington 
respecting  his  latter  end,  may  not  be  unseasonably 
considered,  in  connexion  with  remarks  to  be  added  on 
the  event  itself. 

A  favourite  nephew,  who  was  much  at  Mount  Ver- 
non  (one  of  those  concerning  whose  return  he  made 
inquiries  of  Mr.  Lear,)  thus  describes  his  last  interview 
with  his  revered  kinsman. 

l-  During  this,  my  last  visit  to  the  General,  we  walk 
ed  together  about  the  grounds,  and  talked  of  various 
improvements  he  had  in  contemplation.  The  lawn 
was  to  be  extended  down  to  the  river  in  the  direction 
of  the  old  vault,  which  was  to  be  removed  on  account 
of  the  inroads  made  by  the  roots  of  the  trees,  with  which 
it  is  crowned,  which  caused  it  to  leak.  '  I  intend  to 
place  it  there,'  said  he,  pointing  to  the  place  where  the 
new  vault  now  stands.  '  First  of  all  I  shall  make 
this  change  ;  for  after  all  1  may  require  it  before 
the  rest.1 

"When  I  parted  from  him  he  stood  on  the  steps  of 
the  front  door,  where  he  took  leave  of  myself  and 
another,  and  wished  us  a  pleasant  journey,  as  I  was 
going  to  Westmoreland  on  business.  It  was  a  bright 
frosty  morning ;  he  had  taken  his  usual  ride,  and  the 
clear  healthy  flush  on  his  cheek,  and  his  sprightly 


346  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

manner,  brought  the  remark  from  both  of  us,  that  we 
had  never  seen  the  General  look  so  well. 

*#***#*** 

"  A  few  days  afterwards,  being  on  my  way  home  in 
company  with  others,  whilst  we  were  conversing  about 
Washington,  I  saw  a  servant  rapidly  riding  towards 
us.  On  his  near  approach  I  recognized  him  as  belong 
ing  to  Mount  Vernon.  He  rode  up — his  countenance 
told  the  story — he  handed  me  a  letter.  Washington 
was  dead."  * 

In  a  private  letter  written  on  the  Saturday  before  his 
death,  when  in  perfect  health,  the  following  sentence 
occurs  : — "  For  I  must,  if  Mrs.  Washington  and 
myself  should  both  survive  another  year,  find  some 
place  to  which  the  supernumerary  hands  on  this  Estate 
could  be  removed." 

Thus  habitually  mindful  of  death,  it  may  with  reason 
be  presumed,  that  he  was  not  taken  by  surprise, 
when  the  enemy  made  his  approach.  Accordingly,  it 
would  appear  that  as  soon  as  the  disease  became  violent, 
he  believed  it  would  be  fatal.  He  did  not  seek,  through 
a  fond  desire  of  life,  to  delude  himself  with  hopes  of 
recovery  ;  but  resigned  himself  at  once  to  the  will  of 
God,  requesting  that  no  more  trouble  might  be  taken 
with  him,  as  he  wished  to  die  quietly. 

We  learn  from  a  memorandum  of  Mr.  Lear  that  he 
said  during  the  day  :  "  Doctor,  I  die  hard,  but  1  am 
not  afraid  to  go."  In  the  view  of  death  the  pious 
monarch  of  Israel  expressed  himself  in  corresponding 
terms  :  "  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  sha- 

,    *  Life  of  Washington,  by  J.  K.  Paulding.     2  Vol.  pp.  196.  197. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  347 

dow  of  death,  /  will  fear  no  evil,  for  thou  art  with 
me,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me."  Whence 
the  absence  of  fear  from  the  bosom  of  Washington, 
whilst  his  body  was  racked  with  pain,  and  eternity 
opening  before  him?  Was  it  blindness  of  mind — a 
low  estimate  of  sin— an  inadequate  sense  of  accounta 
bility  ?  Or  was  it  rather  the  result  of  confidence  in 
the  mercy  of  God,  assured  to  mankind  through  Him 
whom  he  was  accustomed  to  regard  as  the  "  Divine 
Author  of  our  blessed  religion  ?  "  We  cannot  doubt  but 
that  his  remarkable  composure,  under  so  sudden  a  visit 
ation,  had  its  origin  in  a  comfortable  sense  of  the 
Divine  goodness,  and  his  own  readiness  for  the  great 
change  which  was  at  hand.  That  Saviour,  who  in 
pardoning  sin  deprives  death  of  its  sting,  and  the  grave 
of  its  victory,  was  surely  his  dependance  and  source  of 
his  affectionate  gratitude  to  ministering  friends,  and  his 
humble  resignation  to  the  Divine  will  and  pleasure. 

To  what  but  an  evangelical  source  can  we  refer  the 
language  used  by  him  in  reference  to  his  dying  pains  ? 
"  1  should  have  been  glad,  had  it  pleased  God,  to 
die  a  little  easier,  but  I  doubt  not  it  is  for  my 
good"  In  what  way  was  such  an  end  to  be  answered  ? 
How  should  his  sufferings  be  for  his  good?  It  was  in 
one  way  only  that  they  could  be  so.  They  could  only 
exert  a  salutary  influence  on  his  spiritual  state  and 
prospects.  The  language  of  the  Scriptures  is  :  "  Whom 
the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every 
son  whom  he  receiveth.  If  ye  endure  chastening,  God 
dealeth  with  you  as  with  sons ;  for  what  son  is  he  whom 
the  father  chasteneth  not. '  Again,  it  is  written  :  "  For 
our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh 


348  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory ;  while  we  look  not  at  the  things  which  are  seen, 
but  at  the  things  which  are  not  seen ;  for  the  things 
which  are  seen  are  temporal ;  but  the  things  which 
are  not  seen  are  eternal."  With  what  other  views 
than  these,  could  the  dying  Washington  regard  his 
sufferings  as  useful  to  him?  Without  the  light 
which  religion  shed  upon  the  painful  dispensation  under 
which  he  was  suffering  unto  death,  the  profoundest 
gloom  would  have  enveloped  his  mind,  and  filled  him 
with  a  sense  of  unraingled  evil  in  the  bitter  cup,  he 
was  draining  to  the  dregs.  But  Faith  turned  his 
eye  from  things  seen,  to  things  unseen ;  and  in  the 
assurance  that  the  first  were  "  temporal/'  whilst  the  last 
were  "  eternal,"  enabled  the  possessor,  though  in  much 
affliction  of  body,  to  cheer  himself  with  the  happy  con 
viction  that  "  it  was  for  his  good.''' 

The  request  made  by  the  sufferer  "to  be  left  alone 
for  a  short  time"  is  not  less  pregnant  with  important 
meaning  than  the  language  just  considered.  Prayer 
had  been  a  confirmed  habit  of  his  life.  From  youth  to 
old  age  he  had  never  omitted  the  duty.  It  had  been  a 
cherished  resource  with  him  in  the  many  difficulties  and 
trials  of  his  varied  course.  The  most  serious  of  all  trials 
now  oppressed  him.  He  was  about  to  close  his  earthly 
race.  The  world  was  receding  from  his  sight,  and  the 
solemn  realities  of  Eternity  rising  on  his  view.  In  a 
short  time  the  mystic  tie  which  bound  him  to  this  world 
would  be  dissolved,  and  his  future  condition  be  unalter 
ably  fixed.  What  more  natural,  under  such  circum 
stances,  than  prayer,  to  him  who  had  always  prayed 
before  !  He  would  surely  desire  now,  once  more,  before 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  349 

he  left  the  world,  and  appeared  before  the  judgment- 
seat  of  Christ,  to  pour  out  his  soul  in  earnest  supplica 
tion  for  himself,  his  friends,  and  all  mankind. 

But  why  desire  to  be  perfectly  alone  in  order  to  this 
duty?  Might  he  not  have  engaged  therein  with  all 
necessary  privacy,  though  others  were  near  ?  Could 
any  witness  the  secret  thoughts  and  emotions  of  the 
heart  ?  However  this  may  be,  we  yet  know  that  the 
sick  are  always  liable  1o  interruptions  from  the  tender 
solicitude  and  vigilant  kindness  of  surrounding  friends. 
Washington  was  so  exposed,  and  no  doubt  desired  that 
his  last  approach  to  the  throne  of  grace  should  be  made 
with  due  solemnity,  and  undisturbed.  He  was  more 
over  much  averse  to  every  thing  like  ostentation  in  reli 
gion,  and  knew  he  could  not,  in  the  act  of  prayer, 
escape  observation  in  the  presence  of  others.  It  had 
also  been  a  custom  with  him  in  his  secret  devotions  to 
pray  audibly,  as  mentioned  in  a  former  part  of  this 
work.  This  may  have  had  its  influence  with  him, 
and  rendered  the  absence  of  his  attendants  desirable. 

The  presence  of  Mrs.  Washington,  and  her  attitude 
of  mingled  piety  and  grief,  in  the  chamber  of  death, 
have  been  cited.  "She  left  not  the  chamber  of  the  suf 
ferer,  but  was  seen  kneeling  at  the  bed-side,  her  head 
reclining  upon  her  Bible."  In  reference  to  this  circum 
stance,  we  are  induced  to  inquire  the  end  for  which  the 
Sacred  Volume  had  been  placed  upon  the  dying  bed  of 
Washington.  Was  it  for  the  calm  perusal  and  consola 
tion  of  the  afflicted  wife  ?  We  think  not.  We  should 
regard  it  most  improbable  that  such  should  have  been 
the  object.  In  cases  of  dangerous  sickness,  the  attention 
of  near  relatives  is  usually  quite  absorbed  by  sympathy 

30 


350  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS   AND 

with  their  suffering  friends.     The  wife  especially,  where 
her  husband  is  the  victim  of  alarming  disease,  is  on  the 
alert  in  doing  whatever  may  alleviate  his  pains  and 
arrest  the  malady.     To  his  condition  and  his  wants  she 
is  all  eye,  all  ear.     Whilst  he  is  in  danger,  she  knows 
neither  weariness  or  faintness'of  mind.     In  the  case 
before  us,  sickness  and  death  had  entered  the  domestic 
circle  with  unwonted  surprise.     Great  must  have  been 
the  shock  to  a  wife  so  affectionate  and  devoted  as  Mrs. 
Washington.   If,  therefore,  she  might  have  stolen  a  mo 
ment  for  throwing  herself  before  the  Mercy-Seat,  and 
begging  for  a  life  so  dear  to  her,  it  is  scarcely  probable 
that  she  would  have  thought  it  her  duty  or  could  have 
commanded  tranquillity  enough,  to  engage  in  the  work 
of  reading  and  meditating  in  God's  Word.     It  is  far 
more  likely  that  her  conjugal  zeal  and  tenderness  would 
induce  an  attempt,  in  an  hour  so  trying,  to  soothe  the 
mind,  and  fortify  the  faith  of  her  dying  husband,  by 
reading    to    him    some  of  the  precious    promises  and 
consoling  truths  of  the  Inspired  Volume.     Often  had  he, 
in  the  same  chamber,  and  perhaps  from  the  same  Bible, 
read  portions  of  the  Divine  Word,  for  their  mutual  com 
fort  and  edification.     She  will  now  repay  the  debt  of 
kindness  when  it  is  most  required.     To  such  an  effort 
of  devoted  affection,  painful  as  it  may  be,  the  heroism 
of  female  piety  is  often  equal.     It  was  so,  we  believe, 
in  the  instance  under  consideration. 

As  the  hour  of  his  departure  drew  near ,  every  thing 
else  being  arranged  and  settled,  and  nothing  left  undone, 
the  expiring  chief  turns  his  busy  thoughts  upon  the 
funeral  offices  awaiting  his  mortal  remains.  Addressing 
Mr.  Lear,  his  constant  attendant,  he  said: — "I  am  just 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  351 

going.  Have  me  decently  buried  ;  and  do  not  let  my 
body  be  put  into  the  vaidt  in  less  than  two  days  after  I 
am  dead. " 

The  composure  and  serenity  evinced  in  this  direction 
is  sufficiently  apparent.  But  what  did  he  mean  by 
being  "decently  buried  ?"  He  probably  referred  to  the 
customary  religious  solemnities.  There  was  little  danger 
of  any  thing  else  being  neglected.  The  circumstances 
under  which  he  met  his  end  precluded  the  possibility  of 
those  offices  of  the  church,  appropriate  to  the  bed  of  death. 
He  would  not,  however,  have  the  funeral  rites  omitted  ; 
regarding  them  as  necessary  to  a  "decent"  interment. 

The  last  words  which  Washington  uttered  were 
these: — "'T  is  WELL."  Fearing  that  his  last  request 
was  not  comprehended,  he  asked  if  he  was  understood. 
Being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said,  "'T  is  well." 
Every  thing  now  was  finished.  He  had  done  with 
this  world  ;  he  is  ready  to  die  ;  and  he  closes  his  inter 
course  with  earth  in  the  language  of  satisfaction  and 
contentment.  Speaking  as  he  did  with  great  difficulty, 
it  is  probable  that  these  were  not  mere  words  of  course, 
uttered  without  particular  meaning.  He  intended,  most 
likely,  to  express  his  perfect  acquiescence  in  his  death, 
and  every  thing  connected  with  it ;  that  his  mind  was 
at  rest — that  every  thing  was  right — that  all  was  well. 
One  cannot  but  remember  in  this  connexion,  a  similar 
expression  of  humble  submission  under  affliction  in 
the  case  of  a  pious  Scripture  worthy.  When  death 
bereaved  the  Shunamite  woman  of  her  only  child, 
she  forthwith  repaired  to  the  Prophet  Elisha  at  Mount 
Carmel.  When  he  saw  her  coming  in  haste,  he  said 


352  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

to  his  servant;  "Run  now,  I  pray  thee.  to  meet  her, 
and  say  unto  her,  "  Is  it  well  with  thee  ?  Is  it  well 
with  thy  husband  ?  Is  it  well  with  the  child  ?  "  And 
she  answered,  "  It  is  ivell."  Though  her  child  was 
dead,  yet  she  says  "  It  is  well."  It  was  the  Lord's  doing ; 
therefore  she  acquiesced,  and  commended  the  dispensa 
tion  as  right  in  itself.  And  thus  testified  the  renowned 
Sufferer  of  the  land  of  Uz.  When  oppressed  with  a 
sore  affliction  "he  fell  upon  the  earth  and  worshipped, 
and  said,  Naked  came  I  out  of  my  mother's  womb,  and 
naked  shall  I  return  thither  :  the  Lord  gave,  and  the 
Lord  hath  taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  In  all  this,"  adds  the  sacred  writer,  "Job  sinned 
not,  nor  charged  God  foolishly."  His  pious  resignation 
was  virtually  expressed  in  the  words,  "  It  is  welV 

Mr.  Lear,  in  his  description  of  the  closing  scene,  has 
these  words: — "Dr.  Craik  placed  his  hands  over  his 
eyes  ;  and  he  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a  sigh. " 
This  statement  is  no  doubt  true,  but  it  does  not  contain 
the  whole  truth.  It  was  said  and  believed  at  the  time, 
that  General  Washington  closed  his  own  eyes  ;  and  the 
writer  is  assured  that  such  was  the  fact,  since  he  heard 
it  asserted  by  one  who  had  the  best  opportunity  of  know 
ing  the  certainty  of  it.  The  matter,  indeed,  is  one  of  no 
great  importance  ;  but  serves  to  show  that  some  things 
escaped  the  notice  of  Mr.  Lear,  or  were  thought  too 
trivial  for  record  by  him.  This  circumstance,  how 
ever,  is  not  without  interest,  as  indicating  a  perfect  self- 
possession  and  composure  of  mind.  It  was  of  a  piece 
with  the  act  nearly  simultaneous,  of  feeling  his  own 
pulse.  After  this  he  lingered  but  a  few  moments ; — the 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  353 

curtain  of  time  was  drawn  to  him,  and  he  passed  quick 
ly  through  the  gates  of  Eternity,  into  the  presence  of 
his  Maker  and  his  Judge. 

He  died  on  Saturday  night,  14th  of  December.  On 
Wednesday  the  18th,  his  body,  attended  by  military  ho 
nours  and  the  offices  of  religion,  was  placed  in  the  family 
vault. 

It  has  engaged  the  notice  and  remark  of  some,  that 
no  spiritual  attendance  or  service  distinguished  the  last 
sickness  of  Washington — that  there  was  no  minister  of 
Christ  with  him,  nor  any  of  the  offices  of  the  church  ad 
ministered  in  aid  of  his  faith  and  hope.  Whatever  may 
have  been  his  views  or  wishes  in  reference  to  this  parti 
cular  religious  privilege,  it  is  very  certain,  that  it  would 
have  been  next  to  impossible  for  him,  had  he  desired  it, 
to  have  been  gratified.  He  did  not  survive  twenty-four 
hours  from  the  time  of  his  attack.  Of  that  period  there 
was  not  more  than  ten  hours  of  day-light.  It  was  also 
the  depth  of  winter ;  and  the  earth  was  covered  with 
a  heavy  snow.  Nor  was  there  a  clergyman  within  a 
less  distance  than  nine  miles  of  Mount  Vernon.  The 
General,  moreover,  was  dying  through  a  greater  part  of 
the  day.  He  considered  himself  to  be  going  before  others 
did.  In  these  things  alone,  we  think,  a  sufficient  reason 
will  be  found  for  the  alleged  omission,  no  matter  how 
great  the  importance  attached  to  the  observances  in  ques 
tion.  That  they  were  not  undervalued  by  the  subject 
of  these  pages  we  have  sufficient  reason  for  believing. 
But  the  circumstances  of  his  dying  lot,  rendered  it  im 
possible  to  evince  his  estimation  of  them,  whatever  that 
may  have  been.* 

*  The  subjoined   notice  of  the  death  of   Mrs.  Washington  ma/ 

30* 


354  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

Thus  did  the  Father  of  his  Country  meet  a  sudden, 
though  not  an  untimely  end.  He  had  lived  to  fulfil  the 
exalted  purposes  of  his  creation.  The  measure  of  his 
distinguished  usefulness  was  full.  At  a  period  of  high 
political  excitement  and  temptation  was  he  taken  away. 
In  his  removal,  he  left  behind  him  a  name  of  surpassing 
moral  weight — as  unimpaired  in  death,  as  in  life.  Since 
living,  he  conferred  on  others  so  much  good  ;  and  dying, 
bequeathed  them  so  many  blessings ;  we  cannot  but  cher 
ish  the  grateful  assurance,  that  the  stroke  which  severed 
the  mortal  tie,  dismissed  him  also  from  every  care  and 
pain,  the  heir  of  a  happy  immortality.  In  this  belief 
and  holy  confidence,  no  doubt,  did  his  chosen  successor 
at  Mount  Vernon,  cause  the  entrance  of  his  lowly  sepul 
chre  to  be  adorned  with  the  animating  declaration  of 

not  be  here  inappropriate.     It  is  taken  from  the  Alexandria  Advertiser 
of  May,  1802  — 

On  Saturday  the  22d  of  May,  at  12  o'clock,  P.M.  Mrs.  Washington 
terminated  her  well-spent  life.  Composure  and  resignation  were  uni 
formly  displayed  during  seventeen  days  depredations  of  a  severe  fever. 
Prom  the  commencement  she  declared  that  she  was  undergoing  the 
final  trial,  and  had  long  been  prepared  for  her  dissolution.  She  took 
the  sacrament  from  Dr.  Davis,  (Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Alexandria,) 
imparted  her  last  advice  and  benediction  to  her  weeping  relations  ;  and 
sent  for  a  white  gown,  which  she  had  previously  laid  by  for  her 
last  dress.  Thu.s,  in  the  closing  scene,  as  in  all  the  preceding  ones, 
nothing  was  omitted.  The  conjugal,  maternal,  and  domestic  duties 
had  all  been  fulfilled  in  an  exemplary  manner.  She  was  the  worthy 
partner  of  the  worthiest  of  men,  and  those  who  witnessed  their  con 
duct  could  not  determine  which  excelled  in  their  different  characters ; 
both  were  so  well  sustained  on  every  occasion.  They  lived  an  honour 
and  a  pattern  to  their  country,  and  are  taken  from  us  to  receive  the 
rewards  promised  to  the  faithful  and  just." 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  355 

the  Divine  Redeemer  : — "I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the 
life  :  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet 
shall  he  live  :  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me, 
shall  never  die." — May  the  issues  of  the  Last  Day  abun 
dantly  confirm  the  pious  hopes  of  such  as  loved  him  in 
life,  and  honoured  him  in  death. 


356  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

POSTHUMOUS     HONOURS. 

THE  death  of  Washington,  unexpected  as  it  was  by 
his  fellow-citizens,  produced  a  sensation  among  them, 
resembling  the  shock  which  agitates  the  members  of  a 
family  circle,  suddenly  bereaved  of  a  beloved  parent. 
The  melancholy  tidings,  borne  as  it  were  on  the  wings 
of  the  wind,  spread  with  the  velocity  of  a  dark  cloud, 
which,  rising  in  some  distant  corner  of  the  heavens,  soon 
covers  all  the  land  with  gloom  and  terror.  One  feeling 
pervaded  every  section  of  the  country,  followed  by  a  con 
sentaneous  movement  among  the  people,  in  manifesta 
tion  of  an  unfeigned  sorrow  for  his  death,  and  their  high 
appreciation  of  his  illustrious  services  and  distinguished 
personal  excellence.  A  system  of  public  mourning  was 
unanimously  adopted  by  all  classes  of  the  community,  in 
which,  Congress,  then  in  session,  took  the  lead.  By 
every  suitable  and  appropriate  method  was  the  general 
feeling  declared,  but  chiefly  by  funeral  eulogies  and  ora 
tions,  pronounced  in  all  the  principal  towns  and  cities  of 
the  Union  by  eminent  individuals,  designated  for  the 
purpose  by  the  public  voice. 

In  the  various  productions  of  the  pen;  to  which  these 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  357 

appointments  gave  rise,  we  have  many  valuable  testimo 
nies  to  the  excellent  character,  as  well  as  brilliant  deeds 
of  the  illustrious  dead  ; — testimonies  the  more  important 
as  proceeding  from  his  cotemporaries.  The  writers  were 
in  many  instances,  the  personal  acquaintances  of  the  de 
parted  chief,  and  all  of  them  had  either  seen  him,  or  had 
taken  much  interest  in  acquiring  an  accurate  knowledge 
of  his  principles  and  conduct. 

It  is  here  proposed  to  select  from  some  of  the  addresses, 
as  published  at  the  time  of  their  delivery,  those  parts 
containing  particular  allusion  to  his  moral  and  religious 
character.  The  value  of  the  testimony,  to  our  readers, 
will  not  be  diminished  by  the  fact,  that  the  work  which 
contains  it,  is  now  out  of  print. 

The  first  oration  delivered  on  the  sad  occasion,  was  by 
Gen.  H.  Lee.  It  was  pronounced  by  request  of,  and  in 
presence  of,  both  Houses  of  Congress.  We  give  the  fol 
lowing  brief  extract : — 

"  First  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of 
his  countrymen,  he  was  second  to  none  in  the  humble 
and  endearing  scenes  of  private  life.  Pious,  just,  hu 
mane,  temperate  and  sincere ;  uniform,  dignified,  and 
commanding,  his  example  was  as  edifying  to  all  around 
him,  as  were  the  effects  of  that  example  lasting. 

"  To  his  equals  he  was  condescending,  to  his  inferiors 
kind,  and  to  the  dear  object  of  his  affections,  exemplarily 
tender.  Correct  throughout,  vice  shuddered  in  his  pre 
sence,  and  virtue  always  felt  his  fostering  hand.  The 
purity  of  his  private  character  gave  effulgence  to  his  pub 
lic  virtues. 

"His  last  scene  comported  with  the  whole  tenor  of 
his  life.  Although  in  extreme  pain,  not  a  sigh,  not  a 


359  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

groan  escaped  him;  and  with  undisturbed  serenity  he 
closed  his  well-spent  life.  Such  was  the  man  America 
has  lost !  Such  was  the  man  for  whom  our  nation 
mourns  !  "  Delivered,  December  26,  1799. 

"  The  private  virtues  of  this  great  man,  exactly  cor 
responded  with  those  exhibited  in  public  life. 

"  His  mansion  was  the  seat  of  hospitality.  He  was 
idolized  by  his  domestics ;  by  his  neighbours  and  friends, 
esteemed  and  venerated  :  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark, 
that  all  who  best  knew  him,  particularly  those  who 
were  more  immediately  attached  to  his  person  in 
the  course  of  the  war,  and  during  his  civil  administra 
tion,  are  among  his  warmest  admirers  and  panegyrists. 

"  There  was  a  gravity  and  reserve,  indeed,  in  his 
countenance  and  deportment,  partly  national,  and  partly 
the  effect  of  habitual  cares  for  the  public  weal ;  but  these 
were  wholly  unmixed  with  the  least  austerity  or  morose- 
ness. 

"  True  native  dignity  was  happily  blended  with  the 
most  placid  mildness  and  condescension.  He  was  a 
pattern  of  moderation,  meekness,  and  self-possession. 
No  person  ever  existed  who  had  his  passions  under  more 
complete  control. 

"  To  crown  all  these  moral  virtues,  he  had  the  deepest 
sense  of  religion  impressed  on  his  heart ;  the  true  found 
ation-stone  of  all  the  moral  virtues.  This  he  constantly 
manifested  on  all  proper  occasions.  He  was  a  firm  be 
liever  in  the  Christian  religion  ;  and,  at  his  first  entrance 
on  his  civil  administration,  he  made  it  known,  and  ad 
hered  to  his  purpose,  that  no  secular  business  could  be 
transacted  with  him  on  the  day  set  apart  by  Christians 
for  the  worship  of  the  Deity. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  359 

"  Though  he  was  from  principle,  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  he  was  candid  and  liberal  in  the 
highest  degree,  not  only  to  all  sects  and  denominations 
of  Christians,  but  to  all  religions,  where  the  professors 
were  sincere,  throughout  the  world.* 

"He  constantly  attended  the  public  worship  of  God 
on  the  Lord's  day,  was  a  communicant  at  HIS  table,  and 
by  his  devout  and  solemn  deportment,  inspired  every 
beholder  with  some  portion  of  that  awe  and  reverence  for 
the  Supreme  Being,  of  which  he  felt  so  large  a  por 
tion. 

"  For  my  own  part,  I  trust  I  shall  never  lose  the  im 
pression  made  on  my  own  mind,  in  beholding,  in  this 
house  of  prayer,  the  venerable  hero,  the  victorious  leader 
of  our  hosts,  bending  in  humble  adoration  to  the  God  of 
armies,  and  great  Captain  of  our  salvation  !  Hard  and 
unfeeling,  indeed,  must  that  heart  be,  that  could  sus 
tain  the  sight  unmoved,  or  its  owner  depart  unsoftened 
and  unedified. 

•'Let  the  deist  reflect  on  this,  and  remember  that 
WASHINGTON,  the  saviour  of  his  country,  did  not  dis 
dain  to  acknowledge  and  adore  a  greater  Saviour,  whom 
deists  and  infidels  affect  to  slight  and  despise. 

"  Thus  have  I  attempted)  with  trembling  hand  and 
overburthened  heart,  to  exhibit  a  few  brief  sketches  of 

*  That  Washington  was  not  indifferent  about  error  in  religion,  as 
the  above  language  might  imply,  let  the  following  charge  lo  General 
Arnold,  when  that  officer  was  about  to  march  into  Canada,  attest  : 

"  I  also  give  it  in  charge  to  you  to  avoid  all  disrespect  of  the  religion 
of  the  country,  and  its  ceremonies.  Prudence,  policy,  and  a  true 
Christian  spirit  will  lead  us  to  look  with  compassion  upon  their  errors 
without  insulting  them,"  &c. 


360  RELIGIOTTS"  OPINIONS   AND 

t'he  life,  and  to  delineate  a  faint  portrait  of  the  character, 
of  this  unrivalled  hero,  sage,  and  Christian.  None  will 
think  the  picture  overstrained,  or  charge  me  with  flatter 
ing  the  dead.  Alas !  the  admirable  original  is  far  re 
moved  above  all  earthly  praise  or  censure.  And  tell 
me,  my  audience,  have  you  ever  heard  or  read  of  any 
character,  ancient  or  modern,  in  all  respects  compar 
able  to  this  wonderful  man's,  whose  loss  has  filled  a 
world  withteais  ?  I  could  almost  venture  to  pronounce, 
that  all  antiquity  cannot  boast  a  parallel ;  unless,  per 
haps,  the  great  legislator  of  the  Jewish  nation,  may  be 
deemed  an  exception. 

"  In  contemplating  the  lives  and  characters  of  these 
two  eminent  servants  of  the  most  High,  I  think  I  can 
trace  no  inconsiderable  resemblance  between  them.  Will 
you  indulge  rne,  while  I  attempt  a  parallel  between 
the  leader  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  and  the  leader  of  the 
armies  of  America  1 

"  Did  the  former  appear  destined  by  Heaven  to  make 
a  nation  great,  independent,  and  happy  ?  So  did  the 
latter.  Did  the  former  give  early  presages  of  this,  in  de 
fending  his  countrymen  against  lawless  violence  and 
oppression  ?  We  have  seen  that  the  latter  did  the  same. 
Was  the  former  an  invincible  hero,  a  \vise  legislator,  an 
able  statesman,  and  an  upright  judge  ?  All  these  char 
acters  as  truly  belonged  to  the  latter.  Did  the  leader  of 
the  hosts  of  Israel  deliver  that  nation  from  Egyptian  bond 
age  1  So  did  WASHINGTON  ours,  from  the  galling  yoke 
of  British  tyranny.  Was  the  former  an  early  and  shin 
ing  example  of  piety  and  all  the  moral  virtues  ?  So  was 
the  latter.  Did  the  former  blend  uncommon  meekness 
with  undaunted  bravery,  and  the  most  persevering  ford- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  361 

tude?     Our  leader  and  guide,  in  the  most  eminent  de 
gree,  did  the  same. 

"  Was  the  meek  prophet  of  Israel  but  once  provoked 
to  act  with  rashness  at  Sinai's  base,  and  once  to  speak 
unadvisedly  at  the  rock  of  Horeb?  Our  patient  hero 
did  only  the  latter  once  on  the  plains  of  Monmouth. 
Was  the  former  often  rashly  censured  by  some  of  his 
perverse  countrymen  ?  How  far  the  parallel  holds  just 
here,  let  others  determine.  Was  the  former  found  faith 
ful  in  all  things?  Equally  so  was  the  latter.  After 
rescuing  a  nation  from  slavery,  did  the  former  lead  them 
to  the  very  borders  of  the  promised  land  ?  WASHING 
TON  did  more  ;  he  put  us  into  the  full  possession  of  the 
heritage  of  our  fathers.  Did  the  former  demand  or  re 
ceive  no  compensation  for  his  invaluable  services?  So 
neither  did  the  disinterested  patriot  of  America.  At  the 
close  of  his  days,  was  the  Hebrew  leader  unimpaired  and 
vigorous  in  all  his  faculties  ?  Our  benefactor  and  father 
was  equally  so,  except  that  his  corporeal  optics  were  dim 
med  by  incessant  labours  and  nocturnal  vigils,  while  his 
mental  vision,  as  if  purged  with  '  euphrasy  and  rue,' 
was  strengthened  and  refined. 

"  In  one  instance  the  parallel  seems  to  fail.  The  for 
mer  was  blessed  with  offspring.  Those  tender  pledges 
of  connubial  bliss  were  indeed  denied  to  the  latter ;  yet 
weeping  millions  in  him  have  lost  a  father,  while  he  has 
obtained  (a  name  far  better  than  that  of  sons  and  of 
daughters.' 

"  Finally,  did  that  eminent  leader  of  the  chosen  seed, 

having  finished  his  course  with  joy,  die  honoured  by 

God,  beloved  of  man,  and  universally  lamented  ?     So 

has  the  leader  whose  loss  we  are  called  upon  this  day 

31 


362  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  Atf  D 

with  heart-felt  anguish  to  deplore."  Pronounced  at 
PORTSMOUTH,  N.  H.  Dec.  31,  1799,  by  J.M.  Sewall, 
Esq. 

**  Enemies  he  had,  but  they  were  few,  and  chiefly  of 
the  same  family  with  the  man,  who  could  not  bear  to 
hear  Aristides  always  called  the  just.  Among  them  all, 
I  have  never  heard  of  one  who  charged  him  with  any 
habitual  vice,  or  even  foible.  There  are  few  men  of  any 
kind,  and  still  fewer  of  those  the  world  calls  great,  who 
have  not  some  of  their  virtues  eclipsed  by  corresponding 
vices.  But  this  was  not  the  case  with  General  WASH 
INGTON.  He  had  religion  without  austerity  ;  dig 
nity  without  pride  ;  modesty  without  diffidence  ;  courage 
without  rashness;  politeness  without  affectation:  affa 
bility  without  familiarity.  His  private  character,  as  well 
as  his  public  one,  will  bear  the  strictest  scrutiny.  He  was 
punctual  in  all  his  engagements ;  upright  and  honest 
in  his  dealings ;  temperate  in  his  enjoyments ;  liberal 
and  hospitable  to  an  eminent  degree  ;  a  lover  of  order ; 
systematical  and  methodical  in  all  his  arrangements. 
He  ivas  the  friend  of  morality  and  religion  ;  stead 
ily  attended  on  public  worship  ;  encouraged  and 
strengthened  the  hands  of  the  clergy.  In  all  his  pub 
lic  acts  he  made  the  most  respectful  mention  of  Provi 
dence,  and  in  a  word,  carried  the  spirit  of  piety  with 
him,  both  in  his  private  life  and  public  administration. 
He  was  far  from  being  one  of  those  minute  philosophers, 
who  believe  that  "  death  is  an  eternal  sleep ;"  or  of  those, 
who,  trusting  to  the  sufficiency  of  human  reason,  discard 
the  light  of  Divine  Revelation. 

****### 

"  Possessing  an  ample  unencumbered  fortune  ;  happy 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  363 

at  home  in  the  most  pleasing  domestic  connexions  ;  what 
but  love  of  country  could  have  induced  him  to  accept 
the  command  of  the  American  army  in  1775  ?  Could 
it  be  hatred  of  Great-Britain  ?  He  then  ardently  loved 
her,  and  panted  for  a  reconciliation  with  her.  Could  it 
be  partiality  for  a  military  life  ?  He  was  then  in  the 
41th  year  of  his  age,  when  a  fondness  for  camps  gene 
rally  abates.  Could  it  be  love  of  fame  ?  The  whole  tenor 
of  his  life  forbids  us  to  believe,  that  he  was  ever  under 
the  undue  influence  of  this  passion.  Fame  followed 
him,  but  he  never  pursued  it.  Could  it  have  been  the 
love  of  power  ?  They  who  best  knew  the  undissembled 
wishes  of  his  heart,  will  all  tell  you,  with  what  reluctance 
he  was  dragged  from  a  private  station,  and  with  what 
ineffable  delight  he  returned  to  it.  Had  he  not  volun 
tarily  declined  it,  he  would  have  died  your  President. 
Others  have  resigned  high  stations  from  disgust ;  but  he 
retired  at  rather  an  early  period  of  old  age,  while  his  fa 
culties  were  strong,  and  his  health  not  much  impaired, 
and  when  the  great  body  of  the  people  sincerely  love$ 
him,  and  ardently  wished  for  his  re-election.  Could  it 
have  been  the  love  of  money  that  induced  him  to  accept 
the  command  of  the  American  army  ?  No  such  thing. 
When  he  was  appointed  Commander-in-Chief,  Con 
gress  made  him  a  handsome  allowance  ;  but  in  his  acr 
ceptance  of  the  command,  he  declared,  that  as  no  pecu 
niary  consideration  could  have  tempted  him  to  accept  the 
arduous  employment,  at  the  expense  of  his  domestic 
ease  and  happiness,  he  did  not  wish  to  make  any  profit 
from  it." 

'•  I  will  keep,  "  said  he,  "  an  exact  account  of  my  ex 
penses  ;  these,  I  doubt  not,  you  will  discharge,  and  that 


364  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

js  all  I  desire,"  &c.  Delivered  at  CHARLESTON,  S.  C. 
Jan.  15,  1800,  BY  DAVID  RAMSAY,  M.D. 

"  With  what  unshaken  firmness,  with  what  unerring 
fidelity,  he  executed  the  fearful  duties  of  his  station,  it  is 
thy  business,  History  !  to  pronounce  to  future  genera 
tions  ;  thy  work  is  already  begun  ;  and  when  the  story  is 
complete,  it  will  be  the  largest,  and  the  most  instructive 
volume,  in  thy  archives.  In  vain  may  thy  Plutarch  and 
Polybius  vaunt  their  Alexanders,  their  Hannibals,  their 
Scipios  and  Cesars  ;  all  their  boasted  virtues  would  but 
serve  as  an  appendix  to  the  biography  of  our  WASHING 
TON.  Faithful  Clio  !  thou  who  presidest  in  the  registry 
of  human  transactions,  thy  book  and  thy  trumpet,  which 
have  been  wont  to  report  the  deeds  of  heroic  murderers, 
are  now  required  for  a  new  and  more  grateful  employ 
ment  ;  before  thou  writest  the  name  of  WASHINGTON, 
well  mayest  thou  tear  from  thy  records  the  pages  on 
which  are  inscribed  the  inevitable  follies  and  crimes  of 
mankind  ;  well  mayest  thou  now  exult ;  there  has  once 
lived  a  man,  who  had  power  without  ambition,  glory 
without  arrogance,  fame  without  infatuation ;  a  man, 
who  united  the  meekness  of  a  Christian,  with  the  influ 
ence  of  a  despot ;  a  man,  whose  heart  did  not  sink  by 
misfortune,  and  whose  head  became  more  steady  by  ele 
vation  ;  a  man,  who  saved  a  country  by  his  valour, 
and  could  receive  its  praises  without  assumption. 

"  It  was  the  sentiment  of  a  very  profound  writer,  <  that 
all  human  advantages  confer  more  power  of  doing  evil 
than  good.'  To  this  opinion,  founded  on  the  degeneracy 
of  our  nature,  common  experience  had  given  almost  the 
authority  of  a  maxim  ;  but  the  degrading  principle,  like 
almost  every  other,  deduced  from  tjie  frailty,  the  imbecjr 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  365 

lity  of  man,  was  precisely  reversed  in  the  character  of 
WASHINGTON.  All  his  advantages,  ail  his  powers,  ex 
tensive  as  they  were,  and  in  other  hands,  destructive  as 
they  might  have  been,  by  a  kind  of  supernatural  agency, 
seemed  to  have  been  directed  to  but  one  and  the  best  of 
purposes ;  the  welfare  of  his  country  and  the  glory  of  his 
God."  Eulogy  by  George  Blake,  Esq. 

"  It  is  natural  that  the  gratitude  of  mankind  should 
be  drawn  to  their  benefactors.  A  number  of  these  have 
successively  arisen,  who  were  no  less  distinguished  for 
the  elevation  of  their  virtues,  than  the  lustre  of  their  ta 
lents.  Of  those,  however,  who  were  born,  and  who 
acted  through  life  as  if  they  were  born,  not  for  them 
selves,  but  for  their  country  and  the  whole  human  race, 
how  few,  alas  !  are  recorded  in  the  long  annals  of  ages  ; 
and  how  wide  the  intervals  of  time  and  space  that  divide 
them  !  In  all  this  dreary  length  of  way,  they  appear 
like  five  or  six  light-houses  on  as  many  thousand  miles 
of  coast :  they  gleam  upon  the  surrounding  darkness 
with  an  inextinguishable  splendour,  like  stars  seen 
through  a  mist ;  but  they  are  seen  like  stars,  to  cheer, 
to  guide,  and  to  save.  WASHINGTON  is  now  added  to 
that  small  number.  Already  he  attracts  curiosity,  like 
a  newly  discovered  star  whose  benignant  light  will  travel 
on  to  the  world's  and  time's  farthest  bounds.  Already 
his  name  is  hung  up  by  history,  as  conspicuously  as  if  it 
sparkled  in  one  of  the  constellations  of  the  sky, 

'•<•  By  commemorating  his  death,  we  are  called  this 
day  to  yield  the  homage  that  is  due  to  virtue ;  to  confess 
the  common  debt  of  mankind,  as  well  as  our  own  ;  and 
to  pronounce  for  posterity,  now  dumb,  that  eulogium 

31* 


366  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

which  they  will  delight  to  echo  ten  ages  hence,  when 
we  are  dumb. 

"  I  consider  myself  not  merely  in  the  midst  of  the  citi 
zens  of  this  town,  [Boston,]  or  even  of  the  State.  In 
idea,  I  gather  around  me  the  nation.  In  the  vast  and 
venerable  congregation  of  the  patriots  of  all  countries, 
and  of  all  enlightened  men,  I  would,  if  I  could,  raise 
my  voice,  and  speak  to  mankind  in  a  strain  worthy  of 
my  audience,  and  as  elevated  as  my  subject.  But  how 
shall  I  express  emotions  that  are  condemned  to  be  mute, 
because  they  are  unutterable  ?  I  felt,  and  I  was  wit 
ness,  on  the  day  when  the  news  of  his  death  reached 
us,  to  the  throes  of  that  grief  that  saddened  every  coun 
tenance,  and  wrung  drops  of  agony  from  the  heart.  Sor 
row  laboured  for  utterance,  but  found  none.  Every  man 
looked  round  for  the  consolation  of  other  men's  tears. 
But  what  consolation  !  Each  face  was  convulsed  with 
sorrow  for  the  past ;  every  heart  shivered  with  despair 
for  the  future.  The  man  who,  and  who  alone,  united 
all  hearts,  was  dead — dead,  at  the  moment  when  his 
power  to  do  good  was  the  greatest,  and  when  the  aspect 
of  the  imminent  public  dangers  seemed  more  than  ever 
to  render  his  aid  indispensable,  and  his  loss  irreparable  : 
irreparable;  for  two  WASHINGTONS  come  not  in  one 
age. 

"  A  grief  so  thoughtful,  so  profound,  so  mingled  with 
tenderness  and  admiration,  so  interwoven  with  our  na 
tional  self-love,  so  often  revived  by  being  diffused,  is  not 
to  be  expressed.  You  have  assigned  me  a  task  that  is 
impossible. 

tl  ,O  if  I  could  perform  it ;  if  I  could  illustrate  his 
principles  in  my  discourse,  as  he  displayed  them  in  his 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  367 

life  ;  if  I  could  paint  his  virtues  as  he  practised  them  ;  if 
I  could  convert  the  fervid  enthusiasm  of  my  heart  into 
the  talent  to  transmit  his  fame,  as  it  ought  to  pass,  to  pos 
terity  ;  I  should  be  the  successful  organ  of  your  will,  the 
minister  of  his  virtues,  and,  may  I  dare  to  say,  the  hum 
ble  partaker  of  his  immortal  glory.  These  are  ambitious, 
deceiving  hopes,  and  I  reject  them.  For  it  is  perhaps 
almost  as  difficult,  at  once  with  judgment  and  feeling, 
to  praise  great  actions,  as  to  perform  them.  A  lavish 
and  undistinguishing  eulogium  is  not  praise ;  and  to  dis 
criminate  such  excellent  qualities  as  were  characterestic 
and  peculiar  to  him,  would  be  to  raise  a  name,  as  he 
raised  it,  above  envy,  above  parallel — perhaps,  for  this 
very  reason,  above  emulation. 

"  Such  a  portraying  of  character,  however,  must  be  ad 
dressed  to  the  understanding,  and  therefore,  even  if  it 
were  well  executed,  would  seem  to  be  rather  an  analysis 
of  moral  principles,  than  the  recital  of  a  hero's  exploits. 
It  would  rather  conciliate  confidence  and  esteem,  than 
kindle  enthusiasm  and  admiration.  It  would  be  a  pic 
ture  of  WASHINGTON,  and  like  a  picture,  flat  as  the 
canvass  ;  like  a  statue,  cold  as  the  marble  on  which  he 
is  represented  ;  cold,  alas  !  as  his  corpse  in  the  ground. 
Ah  !  how  unlike  the  man,  late  warm  with  living  virtues, 
animated  by  the  soul  once  glowing  with  patriotic  fires ! 
He  is  gone  !  The  tomb  hides  all  that  the  world  could 
scarce  contain,  and  that  once  was  WASHINGTON,  ex 
cept  his  glory  :  that  is  the  rich  inheritance  of  his  coun 
try  :  and  his  example ;  that  let  us  endeavour,  by  de 
lineating,  to  impart  to  mankind.  Virtue  will  place  it  in 
her  temple,  Wisdom  in  her  treasury."  Pronounced  in 
BOSTON,  before  his  Honour  the  Lieutenant- Governour, 
the  Council,  fyc.  on  8th  Feb.  1800,  BY  FISHER  AMES. 


RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

"In  WASHINGTON  occurred  a  union  rarely  to  be 
found,  of  greatness  and  goodness.  Courage,  wisdom, 
and  magnanimity,  those  eminent  qualities,  which 
embrace  the  whole  community  in  their  operation,  were 
not  those  only  which  distinguished  his  character.  He 
was  equally  remarkable  for  the  less  splendid,  though 
not  less  amiable  virtues,  which  more  immediately  re 
spected  himself,  his  family  and  friends.  However  the 
abundance  of  his  means,  or  his  long  and  familiar  inter 
course  with  the  world,  might  have  exposed  him  to  tempt 
ation,  he  preserved  his  morals  not  only  pure,  but  even 
unsullied,  by  the  breath  of  suspicion.  However  the 
applause  of  mankind,  and  the  wealth  and  honours  which 
fortune  no  longer  blind  bestowed  on  him  with  a 
liberal  hand,  might  have  attached  him  to  the  world, 
he  never  forgot  that  he  was  mortal,  and  destined  to 
another  state  of  existence.  In  him  religion  was  a 
steady  principle  of  action.  It  not  only  taught  him 
fortitude  in  danger,  and  patience  under  misfortunes,  but 
instructed  him  in  the  yet  harder  lesson  of  moderation,  of 
even  humility  in  the  full  swell  of  prosperity.  How  often 
does  history  inform  us  of  commanders,  transported  with 
success,  and  grown  giddy  in  its  eddies,  forgetting  their 
dependence,  and  arrogating  even  divine  honours  !  As 
a  counterpart  to  this,  our  annals  may  record  the  con 
cluding  passage  of  the  general  orders,  published  on  the 
surrender  of  Yorktown  ;  <:  Divine  service  shall  be  per 
formed  to-morrow,  in  the  different  brigades  and  divisions, 
The  Commander-in-Chief  recommends,  that  all  the 
troops  that  are  not  upon  duty,  do  assist  at  it  with  a 
serious  deportment,  and  that  sensibility  of  heart,  which 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  360 

the  recollection  of  the  surprising  and  particular  inter 
position  of  Providence  in  our  favour,  claims." 

u  That  WASHINGTON  was  affectionate  and  endearing 
in  his  conjugal  relation,  the  anguish  of  his  widowed 
wife  sufficiently  evinces That  he  was  com 
passionate  and  humane,  is  honourably  told  by  the  tears 
of  his  disconsolate  domestics.  That  he  was  benevolent, 
his  emancipated  slaves  will  long  remember,  and  even 
their  posterity  acknowledge  with  gratitude." — Pro 
nounced  at  BOSTON,  February  llth,  1800.  By  J. 
BIGELOW,  ESQ. 

l' These  expressions  of  his  sentiments  and  views  in 
dicate  the  character  which  he  would  probably  prefer  to 
sustain ;  not  merely  that  of  a  warrior,  or  statesman  J 
but  as  the  enlightened  friend  of  man,  and  all  his  best 
enjoyments :  the  advocate  of  religion  :  the  supporter 
of  virtue :  and,  to  adopt  the  language  of  your  char 
ter,  the  cultivator  or  patron  of  "  every  art  and  science 
which  may  tend  to  advance  the  interest,  dignity 
and  happiness,  of  a  free,  independent,  and  virtuous 
people." 

*#####* 

"  In  studying  the  character  of  WASHINGTON,  we 
cannot  refrain  inquiring,  by  what  principles  or  motives 
he  was  thus  uniformly  swayed  to  the  practice  of  virtue, 
and  the  steady  pursuit  of  excellence.  Much,  doubtless, 
was  due  to  his  habitual  respect  for  the  approbation 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  :  and  in  attributing 
the  formation  of  his  character  and  fame,  in  any  degree, 
to  this  source,  we  pay  a  just  tribute  to  his  countrymen  ; 
a  tribute,  he  was  ever  prompt  to  bestow. 


370  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

"  To  this  motive  was  added  that  delicate  and  refined 
MORAL  SENSE,  which  is  the  guardian  and  protectress 
of  all  the  virtues  :  which  forbids  committing  any  thing 
base  or  unworthy ;  any  thing  unbecoming  the  dignity 
of  man,  a  due  reverence  for  himself,  and  the  rank  he 
holds  in  the  scale  of  rational  beings. 

"  But  above  all,  he  was  influenced  by  the  more  perma 
nent  and  operative  principle  of  religion  :  by  the  firm  and 
active  persuasion  of  an  ALL-SEEING,  ALL-POWERFUL 
DEITY:  by  the  high  consciousness  of  future  accounta 
bility,  and  the  assured  hope  and  prospect  of  immortality. 
Contrasting  his  sublime  example,  founded  on  such  a 
basis,  with  the  tribe  of  infidel  heroes  who  have  lately 
appeared  on  the  bloody  theatre  of  Europe,  we  cannot 
but  apply  the  impressive  language  of  a  sober  and  intel 
ligent  heathen  :  <  Earthquakes,  lightning,  storms  and 
torrents  have  an  amazing  power :  but  as  for  Justice 
nothing  participates  of  that,  without  thinking  and  rea 
soning  upon  God.' 

"  Sound  science  will  ever  be  found  promotive  of  ra 
tional  religion,  and  the  solid  interests  of  the  common, 
wealth :  but  there  is  a  leprosy  of  false  knowledge ?, 
which  is  akin  to  impiety,  and  saps  the  compacted  fabric 
of  social  order.  It  is  thus  in  the  political  system.  The 
mild  and  lovely  form  of  true  liberty,  is  opposed  by  a 
harlot  blustering  counterfeit. 

**          ****** 

"  False  philosophy  is  indeed  the  deceitful,  Delilah  which 
will  enervate  and  corrupt  the  strongest  establishments, 
and  deliver  them,  nerveless  and  resistless,  to  the  Phi 
listines  of  Infidelity,  the  Lords  of  Anarchy  and 
Misrule :  but  sound  Science,  with  rational  Religion, 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  371 

will  be  the  firm  supporters  of  the  Magistracy  to  the 
latest  time  ;  as  Aaron  and  Hur  sustained  the  hands  of 
Moses,  until  the  going  down  of  the  sun." — Pro 
nounced  at  BOSTON,  February  19^A,  1800,  before  the 
AMERICAN  ACADEMY  of  ARTS  and  SCIENCES,  BY 
JOHN  DAVIS,  Member  of  the  Academy,  fyc. 

"This  solemn  assembly,  and  these  sable,  ensigns  pro 
claim  no  common  grief  Already  has  every  American 
wept ;  already  have  the  sad  funeral  processions  moved  ; 
and  already  have  the  virtues  and  services  of  WASHING 
TON,  been  celebrated  from  the  pulpit  and  from  the  rostrum. 

"  Why  are  we  again  assembled  1  And  why  is  the 
tomb  uncovered  ?  It  is  that  we  may  all  take  another 
look.  This  is  the  birth-day  of  the  beloved  man.  Was 
there  no  other  which  could  have  been  chosen  than  that 
on  which  we  have  so  frequently  rejoiced  ?  It  is  kindly 
intended  to  give  indulgence  to  our  sorrow ;  to  teach  us 
that  no  character  is  exempt  from  the  stroke  of  death  j 
and  especially  to  induce  our  submission  to  the  will,  and 
our  adoration  of,  that  Almighty  Being  who  '  gave  and 
who  hath  taken  away.' 

"  We  find  from  the  earliest  records  of  time,  that  the 
practice  has  been  usual  in  all  ages,  and  in  all  nations, 
of  honouring  those  who  were  distinguished  by  their 
excellence,  and  were  esteemed  public  blessings.  Tro 
phies  have  been  decreed  to  them  while  living,  and  at 
their  decease,  their  bodies  have  been  sometimes  em 
balmed  ;  monuments,  elegies,  and  funeral  orations  have 
perpetuated  the  memory  of  their  honourable  deeds. 

"  This  has  a  happy  tendency  to  insure  a  noble  and 
virtuous  conduct,  and  to  excite  the  imitation  of  others. 
The  love  of  fame,  when  subordinate  to  the  general  good 


372  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

of  mankind,  is  inseparable  from  him  who  is  truly  great ; 
and  he  carries  his  views  beyond  the  grave,  to  the  reward 
which  posterity  shall  bestow.  Were  there  then  no  other 
reason  for  praising  the  illustrious  dead,  this  would  be 
sufficient. 

"  But  there  is  an  obligation  of  still  higher  moment. 
Eminent  men  are  qualified  for  their  work  by  God. 
They  are  his  servants.  In  honouring  them  we  honour 
him.  It  is  true  that  the  heathen  glorified  not  God,  but 
substituted  creatures  in  his  room ;  and  there  is  danger 
that  even  we,  with  the  clearest  revelation,  may  be 
guilty  of  idolatry  in  not  lifting  up  our  hearts  to  Him 
from  whom  '  cometh  down  every  good  gift,  and  every 
perfect  gift.'  Let  us  ascribe  the  glory  to  God,  and  we 
may  safely  extol  the  man  whose  loss,  this  day,  we 
deplore. 

"  America  claims  as  her  own,  one  who  was  justly  the 
admiration  of  the  world.  And  shall  she  be  silent  in  his 
praise  1  Perhaps  silence  would  have  best  expressed  the 
merits  of  him  who  is  beyond  all  eulogy.  The  language 
of  mortals  can,  with  difficulty  if  ever,  reach  so  noble  a 
theme.  The  name  is  above  what  Grecian  or  Roman 
story  presents,  and  it  would  require  more  than  Grecian 
or  Roman  eloquence  to  do  it  justice.  One  advantage 
indeed  it  possesses,  that  hardly  any  thing  can  be  said 
which  will  be  thought  extravagant ;  and  what  would  in 
other  cases  be  deemed  flattery,  will  sink  far  below  the 
conceptions  of  the  public  mind.  Flattery  was  ever  con 
founded  in  the  presence  of  WASHINGTON,  nor  will  it 
dare  to  approach  his  ashes.  That  humility,  however, 
which  was  the  constant  ornament  of  his  virtues,  should 
not  now  obstruct  the  offerings  of  a  feeling  and  grateful 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  373 

people  at  his  shrine.  Nay,  they  rush  with  greater  eager 
ness  to  testify  their  sense  of  his  transcendent  and  inestim 
able  worth. 

##***## 

"  Though  naturally  reserved,  yet  he  was  not  haughty. 
Though  those  who  approached  him  felt  his  superi 
ority,  yet  he  did  not  assume.  He  blended  dignity  and 
condescension.  The  greatest  and  the  smallest  object  re 
ceived  from  him  a  due  attention.  He  never  betrayed 
any  symptoms  of  vain-glory.  When  he  was  once  asked, 
whether  he  had  ever  said,  as  was  reported,  <  that  he 
knew  no  music  so  pleasing  as  the  whistling  of  bullets,' 
he  answered,  '  If  I  said  so,  it  was  when  I  was  young.'* 
Learning  to  estimate  justly  all  human  glory,  and  ma 
tured  by  experience  accustomed  to  lofty  conceptions,  and 
moving  always  in  the  important  spheres  of  life  ;  impress 
ed  with  a  sense  that  he  derived  all  from  God,  and  that 
all  should  be  devoted  to  his  service  ;  his  deportment  was 
noble,  equally  removed  from  the  supercilious  and  the 
vain.  Some  men  have  been  great  at  one  time,  and  des 
picable  at  another  ;  some  men  have  performed  a  single 
great  action,  and  never  rose  to  the  like  again  ;  but  to 
him  great  actions  seemed  common.  Some  men  have 
appeared  great  at  the  head  of  armies,  or  when  surrounded 
by  the  trappings  of  power,  and  little  when  stripped  of 
these,  and  alone  ;  some  men  have  withstood  the  storms 
of  adversity,  and  been  melted  by  the  sunshine  of  pros 
perity  ;  some  men  have  possessed  splendid  public  talents, 
and  disgraced  these  by  sordid  private  vices  :  but  it  is  dif 
ficult  to  determine  when  and  where  WASHINGTON  shone 

*  Gordon's  History. 

32 


874  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS   AND 

the  brightest.     It  can  only  be  said  that  he  was  uniform 
ly  great. 

"  One  part  of  his  character  remains  to  be  mentioned, 
and  which  crowns  the  whole  ;  that  is,  his  reverence  for 
the  Sabbath,  his  acknowledgment  of  a  Providence,  and 
his  attendance  upon  the  institutions  of  religion.  In  all 
his  public  documents,  God  is  honoured ;  after  deliver 
ances  or  victories;  thankgivings  were  by  his  order  offered  ; 
and  it  is  well  known  that  he  invariably  attended  divine 
worship.  The  foolish  and  wicked  cant  of  exalting  human 
reason,  and  ascribing  all  to  fortune,  received  from  him 
no  countenance.  Neither  in  the  parade  of  military  life, 
nor  in  the  cares  of  civil  administration ;  neither  in  a 
state  of  depression,  nor  amidst  the  intoxicating  sweets 
of  power  and  adulation  ;  did  he  forget  to  pay  homage 
to  the  "  MOST  HIGH,  who  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the 
army  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth." 

"It  is  not  wholly  inprobable  that  the  fate  of  the 
unhappy  Braddock,  who,  it  is  said,  expressed  himself  in 
a  boasting  and  profane  manner,  left  on  the  mind  of 
young  WASHINGTON  an  indelible  impression.  '  Thus 
said  the  Lord,  Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  in  his  wis 
dom,  neither  let  the  mighty  man  glory  in  his  might ;  let 
hot  the  rich  man  glory  in  his  riches  :  but  let  him  that 
glorieth,  glory  in  this,  that  he  understandeth  and  know- 
eth  me,  that  I  am  the  Lord  which  exercise  loving-kind 
ness,  judgment  and  righteousness  in  the  earth/* 

"  Hear  the  testimony  which  WASHINGTON  bore  for 
religion  on  his  resignation  of  the  chief-magistracy  :  *  Of 
all  the  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead  to  political 

*  Jer.  ix.  23,  24. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  375 

prosperity,  religion  and  morality  are  indispensable  sup 
ports,'  &c.*  Incomparable  man  !  He  devoted  his  time, 
his  talents,  and  his  labours  to  our  service,  and  he  has 
left  his  advice  and  his  example,  to  us,  and  to  all  genera 
tions  ! 

"  There  was  in  him  that  assemblage  of  qualities  which 
constitutes  real  greatness ;  and  these  qualities  were 
remarkably  adapted  to  the  conspicuous  part  which  he  was 
called  to  perform.  He  was  not  tinsel,  but  gold ;  not  a 
pebble,  but  a  diamond  ;  not  a  meteor,  but  a  sun.  Were 
he  compared  with  the  sages  and  heroes  of  antiquity,  he 
would  gain  by  the  comparison  ;  or  rather  he  would  be 
found  to  be  free  from  the  blemishes,  and  to  unite  the 
exellencies  of  them  all.  Like  Fabius  he  was  prudent ; 
like  Hannibal  he  was  unappalled  by  difficulties ;  like 
Cyrus  he  conciliated  affection  ;  like  Cimon  he  was  fru 
gal  ;  like  Scipio  he  was  chaste  ;  like  Philopcemen  he 
was  humble  ;  and  like  Pompey  he  was  successful.  If 
we  compare  him  with  characters  in  the  Sacred  Records, 
he  combined  the  exploits  of  Moses  and  Joshua,  not  only 
by  conducting  us  safely  across  the  Red  Sea,  and  through 
the  wilderness,  but  by  bringing  us  into  the  promised 
land ;  like  David  he  conquered  an  insulting  Goliath, 
and  rose  to  the  highest  honours  from  a  humble  station  ; 
like  Hezekiah  he  ruled  ;  and  like  Josiah  at  his  death, 
there  is  a  mourning  « as  the  mourning  of  Hadadrimmon 
in  the  valley  of  Megiddon.'  Nor  is  the  mourning  con 
fined  to  us,  but  extends  to  all  the  wise  and  good  who 
ever  heard  of  his  name.  The  Generals  whom  he  op 
posed,  will  wrap  their  hilts  in  black,  and  stern  Cornwal- 
lis  drop  a  tear. 

*  See  page  74. 


370  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

*•  He  was  honoured  even  in  death.  After  all  his  fa 
tigues,  and  though  he  had  arrived  near  to  the  limit  fixed 
for  human  life,  yet  his  understanding  was  not  impaired, 
nor  his  frame  wasted  by  any  lingering  disease.  We  did 
not  hear  of  his  sickness,  until  we  heard  that  he  was  no 
more.  His  acceptance  of  the  office  of  Lieutenant- Gen 
eral  of  the  armies,  is  a  proof  that  '  Save  my  country, 
Heaven,'  was  his  last.  What  would  have  been  to  most 
men  the  meridian  of  glory,  was  the  setting  sun  of  WASH 
INGTON.  With  an  increased  orb,  its  parting  rays 
paint  the  clouds  with  brighest  colours,  and  illumine  all 
the  mountain  tops.  In  the  full  possession  of  his  reason, 
and  without  fear  of  death,  which  he  had  often  faced  in 
the  field,  he  breathed  his  mighty  soul  into  the  hands  of 
his  Almighty  and  merciful  Creator. 

u  Hark  ! — a  message  from  the  tomb  ! 

u '  Citizens  of  America, 

<; '  You  are  assembled  to  express  your  gratitude  for  ser 
vices  which  you  believe  to  have  been  rendered  by  me, 
and  to  testify  your  sorrow  for  my  death.  Next  to  the 
testimony  of  a  good  conscience,  it  was  ever  the  summit 
of  my  wishes  to  deserve  well  of  my  country.  But  let 
your  gratitude  ascend  to  Him  who  fashioned  me  as  I 
was,  who  kept  me  under  his  holy  protection,  and  who 
hath  in  his  sovereign  will,  recalled  me  from  the  earth. 
My  career  was  much  longer  than  might  have  been  ex 
pected.  It  was  anxious  ;  it  was  laborious  :  it  was  weari 
some — I  now  rest. 

"  '  Let  the  love  you  bore  me,  the  confidence  you  were 
always  pleased  to  repose  in  me,  and  the  regard  you  now 
profess  for  my  memory,  be  shown  in  following  those  ad 
monitions  which  I  have  given  you,  and  which  I  endear- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  377 

cured  to  enforce  by  my  example.  Banish  party  inter 
est  and  party  spirit.  Suffer  no  foreign  influence  to  affect 
your  councils.  Give  support  and  stability  to  your  gov 
ernment.  Honour  and  reward  your  public  officers.  Pay 
the  strictest  attention  to  the  injunctions  of  religion 
and  morality.  Then  under  the  propituous  smiles  of 
Heaven,  you  will  long  be  a  flourishing  and  happy 
people.' " 

"  Thus  methinks,  our  deceased  father  addresses  us 
this  day."— Delivered  Feb.  22d,  1800,  in  the  City 
of  NEW-YORK,  BY  WILLIAM  LINN,  D.D. 

"  Of  his  virtues  it  may  be  said,  that  they  were  the 
fruits  of  much  cultivation  bestowed  on  a  good  soil. 

"  He  very  early  acquired  the  power  of  submitting  his 
passions  to  his  reason.  He  practised  without  effort,  and 
almost  without  merit,  the  habitual  qualities  of  tempe 
rance  and  sobriety.  He  was  eminently  distinguished  for 
prudence,  moderation,  and  equanimity  of  soul.  He  de^ 
served  the  singular  commendation,  that  instead  of  being 
corrupted  by  success,  his  virtues  always  expanded  with 
his  fortune  :  the  season  of  his  prosperity  was  that  of  his 
moderation. 

<;  Perhaps  no  man  ever  shared  more  largely  in  the 
public  esteem,  or  received  more  flattering  marks  of  dis 
tinction  ;  but  was  there  ever  one,  who  deserved  them  bet 
ter,  or  appreciated  them  more  justly  1  His  popularity 
was  earned  by  virtuous  deeds,  and  it  was  spent  in  the 
service  of  virtue. 

"  In  despatch  of  business,  his  diligence  was  indefatU 
gable.  He  was  remarkable  for  observing  the  most  peiv 
feet  order,  without  too  rigid  adherence  to  method,  in  all 
his  concerns,  public  and  private.  This  nice  arrangement 


378  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

of  labour,  and  exact  distribution  of  time,  enabled  him  to 
transact  an  uncommon  portion  of  business,  and  still  left 
him  leisure  to  enjoy  the  innocent  pleasures  of  life.  With 
him,  every  hour  had  its  duty,  and  every  duty  its  hour. 
How  delightful  that  he  could  say  at  the  close  of  his  life, 
1  have  left  nothing  undone. 

"His  easy  fortune,  increased  by  his  industry  and  active 
labours,  afforded  him  the  means,  which  he  never  failed 
to  improve,  of  displaying  his  beneficence  and  generosity 
to  those  who  had  any  claims  on  his  bounty,  or  who  came 
within  the  enlarged  circle  of  his  acquaintance. 

"  To  act  altogether  from  pure  benevolence,  or  regard 
to  the  good  of  others,  seems  hardly  compatible  with 
human  nature.  The  tenor  of  his  whole  life  evinced, 
that  neither  vanity  nor  interest  impelled  him  to  action. 
Vanity  it  could  not  be  ;  for  who  so  modest  and  unassum 
ing?  It  could  not  be  interest;  for  though  he  declined 
no  labour,  he  refused  all  pecuniary  compensation.  If 
ambition  fired  his  soul,  it  was  a  glorious  ambition,  for  it 
saved  his  country. 

"  The  person  as  well  as  the  mind  of  our  de 
parted  Chief,  was  enriched  by  nature  with  her  choicest 
endowments.  His  stature  was  lofty,  his  countenance 
dignified,  his  deportment  graceful,  and  his  manners  libe 
ral,  courteous,  and  refined. 

"  The  most  singular  trait  in  the  character  and  fortunes 
of  this  great  man,  remains  to  be  mentioned ;  he  was 
neither  capable  of  envy  himself,  nor  the  object  of  that 
passion  in  others.  Can  their  be  higher  evidence  of  his 
superior  excellence?  His  character  was  considered  a 
kind  of  public  property  ;  every  member  of  the  com 
munity  had  an  interest  in  preserving  it  inviolate. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  379 

"  Popular  applause,  of  all  the  gifts  in  the  power  of  for 
tune  to  bestow,  the  most  fickle  and  precarious,  to  him 
was  constant,  steady,  and  uniform  as  his  virtues, 

"  Of  his  patriotism  I  need  not  speak.  All  virtues  have 
their  extremes.  There  is  a  patriotism  too  narrow  j  and 
the  philosophy  of  the  present  day  teaches  one  much  too 
broad  ;  it  embraces  all  nations.  There  is  also  a  love  of 
liberty,  which  is  disorderly  and  tumultuous.  It  is  suffi 
cient  to  say,  that  the  patriotism  of  our  WASHINGTON, 
was  an  ardent  love  of  his  own  country  ;  and  the  liberty 
he  adored  was  that  of  which  government  is  the  guardian. 

"  I  have  reserved  for  the  last  to  speak  of  the  religions 
character  of  the  deceased  ;  because,  like  the  key-stone, 
which  completes  the  arch,  it  is  this  which  completes  the 
lustre  of  his  unrivalled  name. 

"  We  have  seen  thai,  his  private  life  was  marked,  in  an 
eminent  degree,  with  the  practice  of  the  moral  virtues. 
The  maxims  he  prescribed  for  himself,  as  the  basis  of 
his  political  conduct,  will  bear  the  strictest  scrutiny, 
when  brought  to  the  test  of  reason  and  morality. 

"  He  taught,  (and  his  own  practice  corresponded  with 
his  doctrine,)  that  the  foundation  of  national  policy  can 
be  laid  only  in  the  pure  and  immutable  principles  of 
private  morality  :  that  there  exists  in  the  economy  of  na 
ture  an  indissoluble  union  between  duty  and  advantage  ; 
between  genuine  maxims  of  an  honest  and  magnani 
mous  policy,  and  the  solid  rewards  of  public  prosperity 
and  felicity :  that  the  propitious  smiles  of  Heaven,  can 
never  be  expected  on  a  nation,  that  disregards  the  eternal 
laws  of  order  and  right,  which  Heaven  itself  has  or 
dained. 

"  In  our  country  there  are  few  who  will  hesitate  to 


380  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS  AND 

acknowledge  the  obligations  we  are  under,  to  make  the 
concerns  of  another  world  the  governing  principle  of  our 
lives  in  this  ;  and  that  Christianity  is  the  highest  orna 
ment  of  human  nature.  WASHINGTON  practised  upon 
this  belief.  He  publicly  professed  the  religion  in  which 
he  was  educated  ;  and  his  life  affords  the  best  evidence 
of  the  purity  of  his  principles,  and  the  sincerity  of  his 
faith. 

"  He  had  all  the  genuine  mildness  of  Christianity  with 
all  its  force.  He  was  neither  ostentatious  nor  ashamed 
of  his  Christian  profession.  He  pursued  in  this,  as  in 
every  thing  else,  the  happy  mean  between  the  extremes 
of  levity  and  gloominess,  indifference  and  austerity.  His 
religion  became  him.  He  brought  it  with  him  into  office, 
and  he  did  not  lose  it  there  His  first  and  his  last  offi 
cial  acts,  (as  did  all  the  intermediate  ones,)  contained  an 
explicit  acknowledgment  of  the  over-ruling  providence 
of  the  Supreme  Being;  and  the  most  fervent  supplica 
tion  for  his  benediction  on  our  government  and  nation. 

"  Without  being  charged  with  exaggeration,  I  may  be 
permitted  to  say,  that  an  accurate  knowledge  of  his  life, 
while  it  would  confer  on  him  the  highest  title  to  praise, 
would  be  productive  of  the  most^solid  advantage  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity. 

*****### 

"  There  is  by  the  irrevocable  decree  of  Heaven,  a  pe 
riod  fixed  to  human  greatness  and  human  glory.  The 
time  had  now  arrived,  that  WASHINGTON  must  die.  He 
could  not,  in  the  day  of  death,  disgrace  a  character  sup 
ported  by  virtue  and  fortitude.  He  who  had  lived  with 
out  guilt,  must  die  without  remorse.  But  I  reckon  it  a 
public  blessing,  and  deserving  our  thanks  to  Almighty 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  381 

God,  that  he  was  called  to  this  last  encounter,  in  the  full 
possession  and  vigour  of  his  mental  powers.  Highly 
favoured  of  Heaven,  to  him  it  was  given,  to  meet  the  last 
enemy  of  man  with  the  same  firmness,  the  same  forti 
tude,  and  the  same  reliance  on  heavenly  aid,  with  which, 
during  his  life,  he  met  the  foes  of  his  country.  And  who 
can  doubt  of  his  success  in  this  last  engagement  1  At 
this  awful  moment  he  had  the  singular  felicity,  resulting 
from  a  review  of  his  well-spent  life,  that  not  a  word  had 
escaped  his  tongue,  which  a  wise  man  might  not  utter  ; 
not  a  sentence  dropped  from  his  pen,  which,  dying,  he 
could  wish  to  blot ;  not  an  action  performed,  which  pru 
dence  could  condemn,  nor  one  omitted  which  duty  had 
enjoined."*— Delivered  at  Exeter,  N.  H.  Feb.  22. 
1800.  BY  J.  SMITH,  Esa. 

"  Siixx-EiGHT  years  are  this  day  completed  since 
the  birth  of  GEORGE  WASHINGTON,  and  this  day  we 
are  assembled  in  the  temple  of  God  to  pay  the  tribute 
of  affection  and  respect  due  to  the  memory  of  the  excel 
lent  citizen,  the  friend,  the  Father  of  his  Country. 

"  Behold !  this  day,  and  at  this  moment,  thousands 
and  thousands,  in  their  numerous  assemblies  over  this 
extended  empire,  are  commemorating  the  exalted  virtues, 
the  heroic  deeds  of  our  deceased  patriot ;  and  pouring 
out  their  souls  to  the  Almighty,  in  the  keenness  of 
sorrow,  for  this  irreparable  loss,  this  national  calamity, 
this  visitation  of  the  Most  High. 

"America,  covered  with  the  mantle  of  grief,  droops 
over  the  grave  of  her  departed  father,  and  the  funeral 

*  Ii  is  more  than  probable  that  Washington  himself  would  not  have 
concurred  in  the  justice  of  panegyric  like  the  above.  Such  perfection 
does  not  fall  to  the  lot  of  humanity. 


382  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

pall  of  Columbia's  pride,  like  a  dark  and  ominous  cloud, 
overspreads  our  land. 

"  Man  goeth  to  his  long  home,  and  the  mourners  go 
about  the  streets.  O  !  fleeting,  transitory  man,  learn 
moderation  and  wisdom  from  a  sense  of  thy  fugitive 
state  !  Now,  indeed,  is  a  time  to  weep  :  to  restrain  the 
bursting  emotion,  would  be  false  fortitude.  Let  the  heart 
seek  its  relief  in  free  effusions  of  just  and  natural  sorrow. 
WASHINGTON  was  our  companion  in  all  the  vicissitudes 
of  fortune  ;  he  was  the  solace  of  his  country ;  he  shared 
in  all  her  joys,  and  he  participated  in  all  her  misfortunes- 
***#**** 

"Although  our  WASHINGTON  was  attached  to  life  by 
an  ample  store  of  earthly  felicity,  and  by  all  the  natural 
feelings  of  humanity,  yet  he  was  raised  above  all  weak 
and  unmanly  regret  at  parting  with  it.  When  Provi 
dence  gave  the  signal  for  his  removal,  with  composed 
resolution  and  an  undisturbed  mind,  he  bade  adieu  to  the 
world  :  What  Heaven  had  made  necessary,  WASHING 
TON  complied  with  cheerfully.  Although  he  was  inter 
rupted  in  the  midst  of  his  settled  designs  ;  although  he 
was  broken  off  in  the  midst  of  the  wise  plans  he  had 
formed  of  being  useful  to  his  country  ;  all  these  he  left 
with  resignation  and  tranquillity  in  the  hands  of  the  Fa 
ther  of  mercies,  to  whom  he  had  ever  been  accustomed  to 
look  up— that  Divine  Goodness  which  had  watched  over 
him  in  all  the  perils  of  life  ;  that  all- wise  Being,  who  had 
governed  the  world  graciously  and  wisely  before  he  exist^ 
ed,  and  who,  he  knew,  would  continue  to  govern  it  with 
equal  benignity  and  wisdom,  when  he  should  be  in  it  no 
more. 

*l  The  time  of  his  departure  was  not  of  our  choice; 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  383 

nor  his  own  ;  but  it  was  the  time  appointed  by  Him 
who  cannot  err.  Honourable  age  is  not  that  which 
standeth  in  length  of  time  ;  but  wisdom  is  gray  hairs  to  a 
man,  and  an  unspotted  life  is  old  age.  He  who  is  unwil 
ling  to  submit  to  death,  when  Heaven  decrees  it,  deserves 
not  to  have  lived.  When  our  WASHINGTON  beheld  his 
friends  and  relatives  around  him,  his  heart  melted  but 
was  not  overpowered  ;  the  retrospection  of  a  virtuous  life, 
the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience,  and  a  hope  of  future 
felicity,  gave  him  composure  and  fortitude ;  and  in  the 
midst  of  these  agonies,  when  the  dust  is  about  to  return 
to  its  dust,  with  firmness  and  dignity,  he  resigned  the 
spirit  to  God  who  gave  it.  He  had  served  his  country 
with  fidelity ;  he  had  walked  piously  before  his  God ; 
he  had  completed  his  career  of  glory  and  virtue  ;  he  de 
parted  with  the  blessings  of  the  whole  American  people, 
and  the  tears  of  grateful  millions  have  embalmed  his 
memory. 

How  respectable  is  such  a  conclusion  of  human  life  ! 
thus  to  quit  the  stage,  honoured  and  revered  by  his 
country,  supported  by  the  presence  of  his  Creator,  and 
enjoying,  till  the  last  moments  of  reflection,  the  pleasing 
thoughts  that  he  had  not  lived  in  vain." — Delivered 
at  ALL  SAINT'S  PARISH,  SOUTH  CAROLINA,  on  the 
22d  of  Feb.  1800.  BY  DOCTOR  JOSEPH  BLYTH. 

"  The  name  of  WASHINGTON,  connected  with  all 
that  is  most  brilliant  in  the  history  of  our  country,  and  in 
human  character,  awakens  sensations  which  agitate 
the  fervors  of  youth,  and  warm  the  chill  bosom  of  age, 
Transported  to  the  times  when  America  rose  to  repel  her 
wrongs,  and  to  claim  her  destinies,  a  scene  of  boundless 
grandeur  bursts  upon  our  view.  Long  had  her  filial 


384  RELIGIOUS  OPINIONS  AND 

duty  expostulated  with  parental  injustice.  Long  did 
she  deprecate  the  rupture  of  those  ties  which  she  had 
been  proud  of  preserving  and  displaying.  But  her  hum 
ble  entreaty  spurned, she  transfers  her  grievances 

from  the  throne  of  earth  to  the  throne  of  Heaven  ;  and 
precedes  by  an  appeal  to  the  God  of  judgment,  her  ap 
peal  to  the  sword  of  war. 

"  At  issue  now  with  the  mistress  of  the  seas  ;  unfur 
nished  with  equal  means  of  defence ;  the  convulsive 
shock  approaching ;  and  every  evil  omen  passing  before 
her,  one  step  of  rashness  or  of  folly  may  seal  her  doom. 
In  this  accumultation  of  trouble,  who  shall  command 
her  confidence,  and  face  her  dangers,  and  conduct  her 
cause  1  God  ;  whose  kingdom  ruleth  over  all,  prepares 
from  afar  the  instruments  best  adapted  to  his  purpose. 
By  an  influence  which  it  would  be  as  irrational  to  dis 
pute  as  it  is  vain  to  scrutinize,  he  stirs  up  the  spirit  of 
the  statesman  and  the  soldier.  Minds  on  which  he 
has  bestowed  the  elements  of  greatness,  are  brought,  by 
his  providence,  into  contact  with  exigencies  which  rouse 
them  into  action.  It  is  in  the  season  of  effort  and  of 
peril  that  impotence  disappears,  and  energy  arises.  The 
whirlwind  which  sweeps  away  the  glow-worm,  uncovers 
the  fire  of  genius,  and  kindles  it  into  a  blaze,  that  irra 
diates  at  once  both  the  zenith  and  the  poles. 

"  But  among  the  heroes  who  sprung  from  obscurity, 
when  the  college,  the  counting-room,  and  the  plough 
teemed  with  'thunderbolts  of  war,'  none  could,  in  all 
respects,  meet  the  wants  and  the  wishes  of  America. 
She  required,  in  her  leader,  a  man  reared  under  her 
own  eye;  who  combined  with  distinguished  talent,  a 
character  above  suspicion  ;  who  had  added  to  his  phy- 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  385 

sical  and  moral  qualities  the  experience  of  diffiicult  ser 
vice  ;  a  man  who  should  concentrate  in  himself  the 
public  affections  and  confidence ;  who  should  know 
how  to  multiply  the  energies  of  every  other  man  under 
his  direction,  and  to  make  disaster  itself  the  means  of 
success — his  arm  a  fortress,  and  his  name  a  host.  Such 
a  man  it  were  almost  presumption  to  expect ;  but  such 
a  man  all-ruling  Heaven  had  provided,  and  that  man 
was  WASHINGTON. 

"  Pre-eminent  already  in  worth,  he  is  summoned  to 
the  pre-eminence  of  toil  and  danger.  Unallured  by 
the  charms  of  opulence  ;  unappalled  by  the  hazard  of 
a  dubious  warfare  ;  unmoved  by  the  prospect  of  being} 
in  the  event  of  failure,  the  first  and  most  conspicuous 
victim,  he  obeys  the  summons,  because  he  loves  his  duty. 
The  resolve  is  firm,  for  the  probation  is  terrible.  His 
theatre  is  a  world  ;  his  charge,  a  family  of  nations ; 
the  interest  staked  in  his  hands,  the  prosperity  of  mil 
lions  unborn  in  ages  to  come.  His  means,  under  aid 
from  on  high,  the  resources  of  his  own  breast,  with  the 
raw  recruits  and  irregular  supplies  of  distracted  Colonies. 
O,  crisis  worthy  of  such  a  hero  !  Followed  by  her  little 
bands,  her  prayers  and  her  tears,  WASHINGTON  espouses 
the  quarrel  of  his  country.  As  he  moves  on  to  the  con 
flict,  every  heart  palpitates,  and  every  knee  trembles. 
The  foe,  alike  valiant  and  veteran,  presents  no  easy  con 
quest,  nor  ought  inviting,  but  to  those  who  ha  d^onsecra. 
ted  their  blood  to  the  public  weal.  The  Omnipotent,  who 
allots  great  enjoyment  as  the  meed  of  great  exertions,  had 
ordained  that  America  should  be  free,  but  that  she  should 
learn  to  value  the  blessing  by  the  price  of  its  acquisition. 
She  shall  go  to  a  *  wealthy  place,'  but  her  way  is  'through 

33 


386  KELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

fire  and  through  water.'  Many  a  generous  chief  must 
bleed,  and  many  a  gallant  youth  sink  at  his  side,  into 
the  surprised  grave  ;  the  field  must  be  heaped  with  slain  ; 
the  purple  torrent  roll,  ere  the  angel  of  peace  descend 
with  his  olive.  It  is  here,  amid  devastation,  and  horror, 
and  death,  that  WASHINGTON  must  reap  his  laurels? 

and  engrave  his  trophies  on  the  shield  of  immortality 

True,  he  suffered,  in  his  turn,  repulse  and  even  defeat. 
It  was  both  natural  and  needful.  Unchequered  with 
reverse,  his  story  would  have  resembled  rather  the  fic 
tions  of  romance,  than  the  truth  of  narrative ;  and  had  he 
been  neither  defeated  nor  repulsed,  we  had  never  seen 
all  the  grandeur  of  his  soul.  He  arrayed  himself  in 
fresh  honours  by  that  which  ruins  even  the  great — vicis 
situde.  He  could  not  only  subdue  an  enemy,  but, 
what  is  infinitely  more,  he  could  subdue  misfortune. 
With  an  equanimity  which  gave  temperance  to  victory, 
and  cheerfulness  to  disaster,  he  balanced  the  fortunes 
of  the  State.  In  the  face  of  hostile  prowess;  in 
the  midst  of  mutiny  and  treason ;  surrounded  with 
astonishment,  irresolution,  and  despondence,  WASHING 
TON  remained  erect,  unmoved,  invincible.  Whatever 
ills  America  might  endure  in  maintaining  her  rights, 
she  exulted  that  she  had  nothing  to  fear  from  her  Com 
mander-in-chief.  The  result  justified  her  most  sanguine 
presages.  That  invisible  hand  which  girded  him  at 
first,  continued  to  guard  and  to  guide  him  through  the 
successive  stages  of  the  revolution.  Nor  did  he  account 
it  a  weakness  to  bend  the  knee  in  homage  to  its  supre 
macy,  and  prayer  for  its  direction.  This  was  the  armour 
of  WASHINGTON  :  this  the  salvation  of  his  country. 
"The  hope  of  her  reduction  at  length  abandoned;  her 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  387 

war  of  liberty  brought,  in  the  establishment  of  inde 
pendence,  to  that  honourable  conclusion  for  which  it 
had  been  undertaken,  the  hour  arrived  when  he  was  to 
resign  the  trust  which  he  had  accepted  with  diffidence- 
To  a  mind  less  pure  and  elevated,  the  situation  of 
America  would  have  furnished  the  pretext,  as  well  as 
the  means,  of  military  usurpation.  Talents  equal  to 
daring  enterprise  ;  the  derangement  of  public  affairs  ; 
unbounded  popularity  ;  and  the  devotion  of  a  suffering 
army,  would  have  been  to  every  other,  a  strong,  and  to 
almost  any  other,  an  irresistable  temptation.  In  WASH 
INGTON  they  did  not  produce  even  the  pain  of  self-denial. 
They  added  the  last  proof  of  his  disinterestedness  ;  and 
imposed  on  his  country  the  last  obligation  to  gratitude. 
Impenetrable  by  corrupting  influence ;  deaf  to  honest 
but  erring  solicitation  ;  irreconcilable  with  every  disloyal 
sentiment,  he  urged  the  necessity,  and  set  the  example 
of  laying  down,  in  peace,  arms  assumed  for  the  common 
defence. 

#         «         *         «         #         #         * 

"  Singular  phenomenon  !  WASHINGTON  becomes  a 
private  citizen.  He  exchanges  supreme  command  for  the 
tranquillity  of  domestic  life.  Go,  incomparable  man !  to 
adorn  no  less  the  civic  virtues,  than  the  splendid 
achievements  of  the  field  :  Go,  rich  in  the  consciousness 
of  thy  high  deserts :  Go,  with  the  admiration  of  the  world, 
with  the  plaudit  of  millions,  and  the  orisons  of  millions 
more  for  thy  temporal  and  thine  eternal  bliss. 

"  The  glory  of  WASHINGTON  seemed  now  complete. 
While  the  universal  voice  proclaimed,  that  he  might 
decline,  with  honour,  every  future  burden,  it  was  a  wish 
and  an  opinion  almost  as  universal,  that  he  would  not 
jeopardize  the  fame  which  he  had  so  nobly  won.  Had 


388  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

personal  considerations  swayed  his  mind,  this  would 
have  been  his  own  decision.  But,  untutored  in  the  phi 
losophy  of  the  age,  he  had  not  learned  to  separate  the 
maxims  of  wisdom  from  the  injunctions  of  duty.  His 
soul  was  not  debased  by  that  moral  cowardice  which 
fears  to  risk  popularity  for  the  general  good.  Having 
assisted  in  the  formation  of  an  efficient  government, 
which  he  had  refused  to  dictate  or  enforce  at  the  mouth 
of  his  cannon,  he  was  ready  to  contribute  the  weight  of 
his  character  to  insure  its  effect.  And  his  country  re 
joiced  in  an  opportunity  of  testifying,  that,  much  as  she 
loved  and  trusted  others,  she  still  loved  and  trusted  him 
most.  Hailed,  by  her  unanimous  suffrage,  the  pilot  of 
the  State,  he  approaches  the  awful  helm,  and  grasping  it 
with  equal  firmness  and  ease,  demonstrates  that  forms 
of  power  cause  no  embarrassment  to  him. 

#**#*** 

"  The  reappearance  of  WASHINGTON  as  a  statesman, 
excited  the  conjecture  of  the  old  world,  and  the  anxiety 
of  the  new.  His  martial  fame  had  fixed  a  criterion, 
however  inaccurate,  of  his  civil  administration.  Mili 
tary  genius  does  neither  confer  nor  imply  political  ability. 
Whatever  merit  may  be  attached  to  the  faculty  of  ar 
ranging  the  principles,  and  prosecuting  the  details  of  an 
army,  it  must  be  conceded  that  vaster  comprehensions  be 
long  to  the  statesman.  Ignorance,  vanity,  the  love  of 
paradox,  and  the  love  of  mischief,  affecting  to  sneer  at 
the  '  mystery  of  government,'  have,  indeed,  taught  that 
common  sense  and  common  honesty  are  his  only  requi 
sites.  The  nature  of  things  and  the  experience  of  every 
people,  in  every  age,  teach  a  different  doctrine.  America 
had  multitudes  who  possessed  both  those  qualities,  but 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  389 

she  had  only  one  WASHINGTON.  To  adjust,  in  the 
best  compromise,  a  thousand  interfering  views,  so  as  to 
effect  the  greatest  good  of  the  whole  with  the  least  incon 
venience  to  the  parts ;  to  curb  the  dragon  of  faction  by 
means  which  insure  the  safety  of  public  liberty;  to 
marshal  opinion  and  prejudice  among  the  auxiliaries  of 
the  law  ;  in  fine,  to  touch  the  main-spring  of  national 
agency,  so  as  to  preserve  the  equipoise  of  its  powers,  and 
to  make  the  feeblest  movements  of  the  extremities  accord 
with  the  impulse  at  the  centre,  is  only  for  genius  of  the 
highest  order.  To  excel  equally  in  military  and  politi 
cal  science,  has  been  the  praise  of  a  few  chosen  spirits, 
among  whom,  with  a  proud  preference,  we  enrol  the 
Father  of  our  Country. 

"It  was  the  fortune  of  WASHINGTON,  to  direct  trans 
actions  of  which  the  repetition  is  hardly  within  the 
limits  of  human  possibilities.  When  he  entered  on  his 
first  Presidency,  all  the  interests  of  the  continent  were 
vibrating  through  the  arch  of  political  uncertainty.  The 
departments  of  the  new  government  were  to  be  marked 
out,  and  filled  up  :  foreign  relations  to  be  regulated  ;  the 
physical  and  moral  strength  of  the  nation  to  be  organiz 
ed  ;  and  that  at  a  time,  when  scepticism  in  politics,  no 
less  than  in  religion  and  morals,  was  preparing, 
throughout  Europe,  to  spring  the  mine  of  revolution  and 
ruin.  In  discharging  his  first  duties,  that  same  intelli 
gent,  cautious,  resolute  procedure,  which  had  rendered 
him  the  bulwark  of  war,  now  exhibited  him,  the  guar 
dian  of  peace.  Appropriation  of  talent  to  employment, 
is  one  of  the  deep  results  of  political  sagacity.  And  in 
his  selection  of  men  for  office,  WASHINGTON  displayed  a 
knowledge  of  character  and  of  business,  a  contempt 
33* 


390  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

of  favouritism,  and  a  devotion  to  the  public  welfare, 
which  permitted  the  General  to  be  rivalled  only  by  the 
President. 

"  Under  such  auspices,  the  fruit  and  the  pledge  of 
divine  blessing,  America  rears  her  head,  and  recovers  her 
vigour.  Agriculture  laughs  on  the  land  :  Commerce 
ploughs  the  wave  :  Peace  rejoices  her  at  home  ;  and  she 
grows  into  respect  abroad.  Ah  !  too  happy  to  progress 
without  interruption.  The  explosions  of  Europe  bring 
new  vexations  to  her,  and  newt  rials,  and  new  glories,  to 
her  WASHINGTON.  Yigilant  and  faithful,  he  hears  the 
tempest  roar  from  afar,  warns  her  of  its  approach,  and 
prepares  for  averting  its  dangers.  Black  are  the  heavens 
and  angry  the  billows,  and  narrow  and  perilous  the 
passage.  But  his  composure,  dignity,  and  firmness,  are 
equal  to  the  peril.  Unseduced  by  fraud  ;  unterrified  by 
threat ;  unawed  by  clamour,  he  holds  on  his  steady 
way,  and  again  he  saves  his  country.  With  less  deci 
sion  on  the  part  of  WASHINGTON,  a  generous  but  mis 
taken  ardour  would  have  plunged  her  into  the  whirlpool, 
and  left  her  till  this  hour,  the  sport  of  the  contending  ele 
ments.  Americans!  bow  to  that  magnanimous  policy, 
which  protected  your  dearest  interests  at  the  hazard  of 
incurring  your  displeasure.  It  was  thus  that  WASH 
INGTON  proved  himself,  not  in  the  cant  of  the  day,  but 
in  the  procurement  of  substantial  good,  the  servant  of  the 
people."  Delivered  in  the  City  of  New-  York,  Feb. 
22,  1800;  by  Rev.  John  M.  Mason,  A.M. 

"  Who  shall  delineate  a  just  portrait  of  that  character? 
which  was  perfect  in  all  its  relations — or  in  what  lan 
guage  shall  the  story  of  that  life  be  told,  whose  every  action 
was  above  all  praise  ? 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  391 

"  To  confer  the  just  meed  of  eulogium  on  this  inestim 
able  character — to  entwine  the  blended  glories  of  the  Hero 
and  the  Statesman — with  them  to  mingle  the  milder 
radiance  of  religion  and  morals,  would  require  an 
inspiration,  not  only  of  those  sentiments,  which  pervade 
every  class  of  men  in  this  extensive  nation,  but  of  those 
opinions,  which  his  unequalled  worth  has  impressed 
throughout  the  world. 

"  Of  legislators,  to  whose  labours  and  honours  he  was 
associated  by  all  that  was  useful  and  dignified. 

"  Of  armies,  to  whom  he  was  endeared  by  every  obli 
gation  of  gratitude  and  glory. 

"  Of  a  people,  by  whom  he  was  regarded  as  their  father, 
guide,  and  protector. 

'•  Of  the  holy  ministers  of  religion,  by  whom  he  was 
beloved  and  admired. 

'Of  the  wise  and  just  of  all  nations,  of  whom  he  was 
the  ornament  and  the  example. 

******** 

"  Such  was  the  triumph  of  patriotism,  and  such  the 
dignified  completion  of  his  public  character. 

"  With  the  accomplishments  of  the  hero,  and  the  attri 
butes  of  thestatesman,  we  are  now  to  connect  the  interest 
ing  theme  of  domestic  life,  and  the  useful  virtues  of  his 
private  character. 

"  Favoured  of  heaven,  he  was  blest  in  the  most  en 
deared  relation  of  human  society.  The  amiable,  and 
much  respected  partner  of  his  happiness,  enjoyed  his 
affection  and  esteem,  and  was  worthy  to  participate  the 
honours  of  his  exalted  station. 

"  The  practice  of  his  filial  piety,  which  had  been  dis 
tinguished  at  an  early  age,  was  continued  until  the  death 


392  RELIGIOUS   OPINIONS    AND 

of  his  surviving  parent,  with  unabated  tenderness  and 
respect. 

"  His  fraternal  love  was  exemplary,  as  it  was  sincere ; 
and  the  munificent  provisions  of  his  will,  attest  the  affec 
tion,  which  he  bore  to  his  kindred,  and  the  relatives  of 
his  family. 

"  Nor  was  this  munificence  bounded  by  the  limits  of 
consanguinity.  The  interests  of  freedom  and  science 
were  anxiously  consulted  and  most  generously  advanced. 

"Age  and  infirmity  were  the  objects  of  his  kind  re 
gard.  And  the  instruction  of  youth,  was  connected  with 
the  emancipation  of  the  bondsman,  as  a  means  of  pro 
tecting  his  rights,  and  rendering  him  safe  and  useful  to 
society, 

"  The  friend,  and  the  stranger  were  received  with  cor 
dial  welcome  at  his  hospitable  mansion — and  his  bene 
ficence  to  his  neighbours  was  returned  with  the  most  af 
fectionate  attachment. 

"  Such  were  the  outlines  of  his  domestic  life."  Pro 
nounced  in  the  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA.  Feb.  22, 
1800,  BY  MAJOR  WILLIAM  JACKSON,  AID-DE-CAMP 
to  WASHINGTON. 

"  The  Providence  of  God  over  nations,  has  often  been 
remarkably  apparent  in  the  characters  he  has  prepared 
for  their  deliverance,  their  safety,  and  defence.  The 
circumstances  in  which  God  raised  up  Moses,  mark  him 
peculiarly  as  his  own ;  and  the  talents  wherewith  he 
was  endowed,  point  him  out  as  the  chosen  instrument 
to  deliver  his  ancient  people  from  Egyptian  bondage. 
David  was  afterwards  raised  up  for  their  glory ;  and 
Cyrus  anointed  for  their  restoration  from  the  Babylonish 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  393 

captivity.  And  is  it  possible  not  to  recognize  in  our  illus 
trious  citizen,  now  departed,  the  immediate  hand  of  hea 
ven?  When  we  consider  the  various  exigencies  and 
circumstances  of  America,  for  fifty  years  past — hardly 
can  we  imagine  talents  more  fitted  to  these,  both  in  war 
and  peace,  than  those  which  distinguished  and  adorned 
his  character. 

******** 

"Such  was  the  man,  whose  death  we  now  deplore, 
that,  '  take  him  for  all  in  all,  we  ne'er  shall  look  upon  his 
like  again.'  He  was  a  professor  of  Christianity,  and  a 
member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  He  always 
acknowledged  the  superintendence  of  Divine  Providence  ; 
and  from  his  inimitable  writings,  we  find  him  a  warm 
advocate  for  a  sound  morality,  founded  on  the  principles 
of  religion,  the  only  basis  on  which  it  can  stand.  Nor 
did  1  ever  meet  with  the  most  distant  insinuation,  that  his 
private  life  was  not  a  comment  on  his  own  admired 
page.  And  from  the  equanimity,  fortitude,  and  compo 
sure,  with  which  he  met  the  stroke  of  death,  we  are  led 
to  the  consolatory  conclusion,  that  his  faith  was  more 
than  speculative.  Delivered  in  DINWIDDIE  COUNTY, 
VIRGINIA,  BY  REV.  DEVEREUX  JARRATT. 

"In  the  private  character  of  WASHINGTON,  we  find 
the  delight,  the  ornament,  the  wonder  of  man  !  Prompt 
at  every  call  of  duty,  in  whatever  sphere  or  station,  he 
exhibits  a  uniform  pattern  of  morality,  industry  and 
economy.  Feelingly  alive  to  all  the  tender  charities  of 
our  nature,  he  always  clothed  the  naked,  and  filled  the 
hungry  with  good  things.  He  soothed  affliction,  com- 
misserated  misfortune,  raised  up  the  bowed  down,  dissi- 


394  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

pated  the  dark  clouds  of  the  disconsolate,  or  gilded  their 
gloom  with  the  calm  sun-shine  of  peace. 

##******* 
"  Great  as  he  was  in  life,  he  was  still  more  sublimely 
grand  and  majestic  in  death.  See  him  on  his  dying 
couch — calm  and  dignified  in  his  distress,  he  has  fought 
the  good  fight,  and  death  to  him  has  no  terrors  !  With 
his  own  firm  hand  he  closes  his  eyes — and  is  gone  !  His 
form  is  now  no  more  the  terror  of  the  valiant.  Dim  and 
feeble  is  the  Chief,  who  travelled  in  strength  and  bright 
ness  before.  He  rests  in  the  dark  and  narrow  house  of 
the  tomb.  The  feeble  will  find  his  bow  at  home,  but 
they  will  not  be  able  to  bend  it.  Fallen  is  the  arm  of 
battle  !  Deep  is  the  sleep  of  the  dead  j  low  their  pillow 
of  dust ;  damp  and  cold  the  couch  of  their  repose. 
When  !  O  !  when  will  it  be  morn  in  the  grave,  to  bid  the 
slnmberer  awake !  Farewell,  thou  first  in  every  field, 
farewell !  The  field  shall  behold  thee  no  more ;  no  more 
the  dark  wood  be  lightened  with  the  splendour  of  thy 
steel.  Thou  hast  left  no  son  ;  but  the  song  shall  pre 
serve  thy  name.  Future  times  shall  hear  of  thee.  The 
sons  of  Columbia  shall  be  sad,  and  the  tear  of  the  young 
virgin  will  fall !  and  well  may  we  weep. — 

"duisdesiderio  sit,  pudor,  aut  modus, 
"  Tain  cari  capitis  ?" 

"  But,  my  countrymen  !  while  we  are  paying  this  last 
sad  tribute  of  respect  to  the  ashes  of  our  dear  departed 
Chief;  while  we  entomb  his  relics  in  the  earth,  and 
inurn  his  memory  in  our  hearts  ; — let  us  not  forget  to 
emulate  his  virtues  in  our  lives.  The  husband,  the 
parent,  the  friend,  the  neighbour,  the  citizen,  the  Chris- 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  395 

tian,  or  the  man,  can  never  deserve  higher  eulogy  than 
this  ; — that  his  deportment,  in  his  appropriate  sphere,  re 
sembles  that  of  a  WASHINGTON. 

"  A  friend  to  our  holy  religion,  he  was  ever  guided  by 
its  pious  doctrines,  and  had  embraced  the  tenets  "of  the 
Episcopal  church  ;  yet  his  charity,  unbounded  as  his  im 
mortal  mind,  led  him  equally  to  respect  every  denomina 
tion  of  the  followers  of  Jesus.  Meek  and  distrustful  of 
himself,  he  was  liberal  and  candid  to  others.  Superior 
to  the  little  prejudices  which  subsist  among  different  sects, 
— prejudices  which  deform  the  beauty  and  destroy  the 
harmony  of  the  religious  world,  he  loved,  and  wept,  and 
prayed— for  all."  Pronounced  at  OXFORD,  Mass.  Jan. 
15,  1800.  BY  J.  DUNHAM,  A.M.  Captain  ISth  U.  S. 
Regiment. 

"  It  was  to  be  expected  that  a  man  so  capable  of  gov 
erning  others,  would  be  able  to  govern  himself.  We 
are  told,  that  his  passions,  by  nature  strong  and  irritable, 
were  brought  by  discipline,  into  complete  subjection  ;  so 
that  he,  whom  original  constitution  disposed  to  turbulence 
and  vindictiveness,  appeared  the  pattern  of  equanim 
ity  and  forbearance.  What  modesty,  joined  with  great 
ness,  distinguished  this  extraordinary  man!  Alive  to 
character,  keenly  sensible  to  virtuous  praise,  the  plaudits 
of  a  nation  and  a  world,  were  yet  never  known  to  elicit 
from  him  one  spark  of  vanity,  or  to  raise  one  emotion  of 
pride.  The  virtues  of  our  departed  friend  were  crowned 
by  piety.  He  is  known  to  have  been  habitually  devout. 
To  Christian  institutions  he  gave  the  countenance  of 
his  example  ;  and  no  one  could  express  more  fully  his 
sense  of  the  Providence  of  God,  and  the  dependence  of 
man.  .  .  .  When  we  acknowledge  God  in  the  talents, 


396  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

virtues,  and  services  of  the  departed  Chief,  let  us  not 
overlook  the  hand  of  Providence  in  his  prosperous  for 
tune,  displayed  in  the  many  favourable  incidents  of  his 
life,  in  the  constancy  of  the  public  affection  and  confi 
dence,  and  in  his  death."  Delivered  in  BOSTON,  Dec. 
29,  1799.  BY  REV.  J.  T.  KIRKLAND. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  397 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON. 

THE  various  sketches  contained  in  the  foregoing  chap 
ter,  will  enable  the  attentive  reader  to  form  a  conception 
of  the  character  of  Washington,  in  the  main,  accurate 
and  just.  That  a  strong  partiality  guided  the  pen  of 
the  writers  may  be  readily  admitted.  The  feeling  was 
alike  honourable  to  both  the  parties.  It  was  a  tribute 
justly  due,  and  herein  freely  paid,  to  virtue  seldom 
surpassed.  Few  persons  have  lived  in  our  world,  whose 
endowments  of  every  kind  were  more  worthy  of  ad 
miration,  or  whose  services  better  deserved  a  grateful 
remembrance,  than  those  by  which  the  noble  subject 
of  their  eulogy  had  been  distinguished  and  adorned. 

The  mental  and  moral  constitution  of  Washington 
was  of  the  most  excellent  kind.  He  possessed  faculties 
and  affections  in  such  peculiar  combination,  as  to  place 
him  almost  alone  in  that  respect. 

His  mind  was  of  the  veiy  best  order.  The  structure 
thereof  was  plain,  but  on  a  scale  of  unusual  strength 
and  greatness.  Its  basis  seems  to  have  been  strong  com 
mon  sense.  To  this  was  superadded  a  discernment 

34 


398  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

clear  and  penetrating  ;  a  memory  of  great  tenacity  ;  and 
a  judgment  as  sound  as  man  ever  possessed.  Ima 
gination  had  but  little  place  in  his  mind.  His  materials 
of  thought  were  first  truths,  together  with  such  facts 
and  events  in  life  as  were  worthy  of  attention.  These 
he  carefully  marked  and  compared  with  one  another, 
noting  their  relations  with  a  cool  and  enlightened  com 
prehension  j  viewing  them  in  all  their  aspects  and  bear 
ings,  weighing  them  in  the  balances  of  the  mind,  till 
conducted  to  the  safest  and  soundest  conclusions  of 
reason. 

He  was  alike  happy  in  his  moral  constitution.  Here 
the  elements  were  mixed  up  in  the  finest  and  most 
admirable  proportions.  They  were  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  higher  powers  of  the  mind.  The  equipoise 
was  rare  and  excellent.  From  hence,  in  a  great  degree, 
arose  the  force  and  effectiveness  of  his  intellectual  efforts. 
The  action  of  his  mind  encountered  no  hindrance  from 
the  waywardness  of  his  affections,  or  the  turbulence  of 
passion.  These  never  cast  obstacles  in  the  way  of  his 
judgment,  or  embarrassed  its  decisions  by  a  conflict 
between  inclination  and  conviction.  With  feelings 
unusually  healthy,  his  understand  ing,  ordinarily,  had  free 
and  unimpeded  course.  Unbiassed  by  mere  emotions 
of  the  breast,  he  always  regarded  objects  presented  for 
his  consideration,  with  a  steady  eye  and  serene  contem 
plation.  No  delusive  vapour  ascending  from  a  selfish 
bosom,  shut  out  from  his  mind  the  bright  rays  of 
truth.  His  perceptions  were  clear,  because  in  him 
were  united  a  sound  head,  with  an  honest  and  single 
heart. 

The  moral  qualities  in  him  were  mingled  and  held 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  S99 

together  in  a  combination  so  admirable,  that  they  all 
tended  with  the  utmost  harmony  to  the  formation  of  a 
character  so  remarkable.  He  united  in  himself  affec 
tions,  dispositions  and  tempers,  which  are  never  looked 
for  in  the  same  person,  being  regarded  in  the  light  of 
antagonist  and  contending  qualities.  They  are  often 
found  to  exist  separately,  but  not  unitedly,  proving  in 
their  ordinary  operation,  destructive  of  each  other.  But 
in  him  they  appeared  to  exist  in  a  concord,  as  com 
plete,  as  it  was  marvellous.  Each  filled  with  energy 
its  own  assigned  sphere,  whilst  the  whole  were  promptly 
combined,  when  the  union  was  necessary  for  the  effec 
tuation  of  great  and  important  objects. 

The  unequivocal  developments  of  his  character,  ex 
hibit  him  as  possessed  at  the  same  time  of  such  opposite 
qualities  as  courage  and  caution  ;  of  artlour  and  self- 
possession  ;  of  decision  and  moderation ;  of  self-esteem 
and  humility.  He  had  modesty  without  diffidence ; 
benevolence  without  ostentation ;  humanity  without 
weakness.  In  him  frugality  was  unattended  by  par 
simony  ;  temperance  by  austerity ;  the  love  of  praise, 
by  the  fear  of  censure.  He  was  dignified,  yet  con 
descending  ;  had  gravity  without  inoroseness ;  serious 
ness  without  gloom.  Quick  in  discerning  defects  in 
men,  he  was  yet  kind  to  all ;  alive  to  offence  and 
insult,  he  was  tolerant  and  ready  to  forgive.  He  was 
of  incorruptible  integrity ;  had  the  highest  and  purest 
sense  of  justice ;  his  truthfulness  was  rigid  ;  and  his 
faithfulness  to  principles  and  engagements,  unwavering- 
He  loved  peace,  yet  was  ready  for  war,  when  duty 
called.  He  was  patriotic  without  ambition  ;  industrious 
without  coyetousness.  He  was  affectionate  to  his  family 


400 


RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 


and  kindred  ;  kind  to  his  neighbours ;  obliging  to  friends : 
courteous  to  associates ;  compassionate  to  servants,  and 
merciful  to  animals.  By  nature  he  had  an  excitable 
temper,  and  a  mind  subject  at  times  to  fierce  illapses  of 
passion.  When  the  severity  of  the  trials  to  which  his 
patience  was  often  exposed,  is  considered,  the  wonder 
is,  not  that  he  should  have  been  sometimes  carried  away  by 
them,  but  that  he  should  have  so  frequently  resisted  them 
with  success.  Under  many  and  great  provocations,  he  was 
usually  calm,  calling  in  to  his  aid  that  self-command, 
of  which  experience  had  taught  him  the  necessity,  and 
conscience  the  propriety.  Few  persons  so  constituted 
as  he  was  in  this  respect,  have  done  themselves,  or 
others,  so  little  injury  thereby.* 

The  personal  and  domestic  habits  of  this  remarkable 
man,  were  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  rest  of  his  life. 
In  them  is  seen  the  same  fixed  and  settled  principles  of 
conduct,  which  governed  him  in  the  higher  spheres  of 
action.  So  happily  do  they  accord  with  the  more  public 
and  prominent  displays  of  his  character,  that  they  serve 
to  present  him  to  the  view, 

"Full  orbed,  in  his  whole  round  of  rays  complete." 

He  usually  arose  from  his  bed  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morn- 

*  The  following  occurrence  will  serve  to  furnish  an  example  of 
his  habitual  self-command. — Returning  to  his  house  one  day,  from  a 
ride  over  his  farm,  on  arriving  at  the  yard-gate,  he  found  his  overseer 
in  the  act  of  chastising  severely  one  of  his  servants.  Indignant  at  the 
sight,  as  being  in  the  mode  or  degree  contrary  to  his  orders,  he  dis 
mounted  hastily,  and  advancing  towards  the  overseer  with  his  horse- 
whip  in  his  hand,  the  affrighted  man  retreated  towards  the  fence, 
exclaiming,  "Remember  your  character,  General;  remember  your  cha 
racter."  The  General  immediately  stopped,  and  reprimanding  him 
for  disobeying  his  commands,  admonished  him  to  beware  of  again 
correcting  his  people  in  a  manner  so  cruel. 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  401 

ing.  summer  and  winter.  From  the  chamber  he  went 
to  his  study,  with  a  candle  in  his  hand,  remaining  there 
a  longer  or  shorter  time,  according  to  the  season  As  to 
his  employment  there,  no  room  for  doubt  exists.  It 
was  certainly  his  time  for  devotional  exercises.  The 
weather  permitting,  he  rode  out  daily  upon  his  farm, 
inspecting  the  agricultural  operations  of  his  managers 
and  servants.  When  enaged  at  home  he  never  suffered 
himself  to  be  interrupted  by  visitors,  except  on  very 
special  occasions.  But  his  business  being  over,  he  gave 
himself  with  cheerfulness  to  their  society. 

In  his  enjoyments,  he  was  very  temperate.  His 
breakfast  usually  consisted  of  two  or  three  small  hoe 
cakes,  with  honey  ;  and  as  many  cups  of  tea.  He 
generally  dined  on  a  single  dish,  drinking  after  dinner 
seldom  more  than  two  glasses  of  wine,  and  finishing  the 
repast  with  a  few  nuts,  of  which  he  was  especially  fond. 
Business  again  employed  him  in  the  afternoon.  He 
drank  his  favourite  beverage,  tea,  before  sun-down, 
spent  the  evening  with  his  family,  and  retired  uniformly 
when  he  had  no  company,  to  his  study  at  nine  o'clock. 
There  he  usually  spent  an  hour  before  retiring  to  rest. 

Mrs.  Washington  sometimes  went  into  his  study 
during  the  day,  when  he  was  there.  He  would  then  lay 
down  his  book  or  his  pen,  and  well-pleased,  yield  him 
self  to  the  charm  of  her  pleasantry,  or  to  any  commu 
nications  of  business,  until  she  thought  proper  to  leave 
him. 

On  Sunday  mornings,  as  the  hour  for  church  ap.- 
proached,  he  was  accustomed  to  go  into  his  wife's  cham- 
ber,  and  sit  there  till  she  was  ready  to  go. 
34* 


402  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

He  was  habitually  grave  and  silent.  He  seldom 
laughed — never  aloud.  When  he  observed  a  disposition 
in  any  one  to  excite  him  by  jokes  or  humorous  stories,  he 
was  immovable,  except  in  very  select  circles. 

He  was  habitually  neat  in  his  dress,  but  plain.  He 
seldom  used  ardent  spirit.  He  never  used  tobacco  in 
any  shape,  always  expressing  a  great  averson  to  it. 

He  was  kind  and  considerate  to  his  servants.  Nor 
was  he  neglectful  of  his  cattle,  being  always  careful  to 
provide  for  the  best  shelter,  and  abundance  of  food. 

He  was  pleased  with  an  opportunity  of  joining  with 
children  in  their  innocent  games.  This  he  did,  some 
times,  when  through  awe  of  him,  the  little  folks  were  ill 
at  ease.* 

An  interesting  question  here  occurs,  and  in  a  work 
like  this  confessedly  demands,  a  fair  and  impartial  inves 
tigation.  Whilst  acknowledging  the  rare  endowments 
and  excellent  virtues  of  this  eminent  man,  there  will, 
and  ought  to  be,  an  inquiry  respecting  the  source  of 
those  singular  virtues  which  appeared  in  him,  adorning 
his  life  with  a  lustre  so  unusual.  Whence,  then,  did  his 
many  virtues  proceed  ?  Had  they  their  origin  in  the 
unassisted  powers  of  nature,  or  in  the  higher  energies  of 

*  His  fondness  for  chi'dren  was  a  marked  peculiarity  in  him.  The 
writer  once  heard  an  old  gentleman  mention  the  following  simple  in 
stance  thereof.  In  the  year  1794,  when  the  troops  were  about  to  march 
from  Carlisle,  Pa.  against  the  western  insurgents,  he  was  one  morning 
about  to  review  them  in  the  streets  of  that  town.  As  he  passed  along 
pn  foot,  amidst  the  busy  hum  of  preparation,  he  met  with  a  squad  of 
little  boys  huddling  together,  and  waiting  anxiously  for  the  parade. 
Conceiving  them  to  be  in  danger  where  they  stood,  he  stopped  amongst 
them,  and  patting  one  or  two  of  them  on  the  head,  he  told  them  to  go 
to  their  homes,  or  they  would  be  run  over  by  the  horses. 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON".  403 

divine  grace?  He  was  blessed  beyond  a  doubt  with 
eminent  advantages  by  nature.  But  can  so  many  sig 
nal  excellencies  of  character  be  referred  solely  to  that 
barren  and  unkindly  source  ?  Does  human  nature,  pro 
fessedly  rejecting  superior  aid,  ever  exhibit  such  singular 
traits  of  goodness  '.*  We  believe  that  it  does  not.  The 
concession  would  be  utterly  at  variance  with  the  doctrine 
of  man's  acknowledged  state  as  a  fallen  creature,  sinful 
and  depraved  in  all  his  powers  and  affections. 

To  suppose  that  such  qualities  spring  from  the  unaided 
sufficiency  of  human  nature,  is  to  contradict  the  testi 
mony  of  experience,  as  well  as  of  the  word  of  God* 
Their  existence  implies  a  strength  of  principle  and  power 
of  self-control,  which  never  have  been  displayed  in  the 
history  of  mankind,  except  as  fruits  of  the  Divine  Agency 
on  the  soul.  And  it  is  certain  that  the  inspired  Volume 
ever  refers  such  results  in  the  human  character  to  the 
power  of  Him  "  from  whom  every  good  gift  and  every 
perfect  gift  descends/'  A  corresponding  view  is  afforded 
by  the  biographer  of  that  valiant  soldier  of  the  cross, 
Henry  Martyn,  when  he  says  in  reference  to  the  virtues 
of  that  holy  man, — "  As  these  extraordinary  and  seem 
ingly  contradictory  qualities,  were  not  imparted  to  him, 
but  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  so  they  were  not  strengthened 
and  matured  but  in  the  diligent  use  of  the  ordinary  means 
of  grace.  Prayer  and  the  Holy  Scriptures  were  those 
wells  of  salvation  out  of  which  he  drew  daily  the  living 

water The  Sabbath,  also,  that  sacred  portion  of 

time  set  apart  for  holy  purposes  in  Paradise  itself,  was  so 
employed  by  him,  as  to  prove  frequently  a  Paradise  to 
his  soul  on  earth,  and  as  certainly  prepared  him  for  an 
endless  state  of  spiritual  enjoyment  hereafter."  The 


404  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

peculiar  and  excellent  virtues  distinguishing  this  favoured 
servant  of  God,  could  not  be  ascribed  to  any  other  source, 
than  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit— grace  now  freely  be 
stowed  on  him,  and  then  in  new  and  fresh  supplies,  as 
he  abounded  in  the  use  of  the  appointed  means.    Whilst 
there  was  also  in  the  illustrious  subject  of  these  pages, 
qualities  which  may  well  be  styled  "  extraordinary  and 
seemingly  contradictory,"  the  presumption  as  to  a  com 
mon  source  in  both  cases,  is  upheld  by  the  fact  of  their 
concurrence  in  the  use  of  the  same  gracious  appoint 
ments.     Of  Washington,  the  known  habits  of  his  life 
justify   us  in   saying,    that — "  Prayer  and    the   Holy 
Scriptures  were  those  wells  of  salvation,  out  of  which  he 
drew,  daily,  the  living  water."     Nothing  is  better  ascer 
tained  than  the  reality  of  his  devotional  feelings  and 
habits.     His  uniform  practice  of  private  prayer,  may  be 
traced  from  an  early  period  of  his  life,  down  to  the  close 
thereof.     With  the  Holy  Scriptures  too,  did  he  cultivate  a 
sacred  intimacy.  The  Bible  which  he  owned  and  used,  is 
now  in  the  library  of  Mount  Vernon,  having  his  name 
written  therein  by  himself.     Survivors  have  said  that  he 
diligently  searched  the  Holy  Volume.      Nor  did  he  fail 
in  a  proper  respect  for  the  Lord's  Day  ;  l-  that  sacred  por 
tion  of  time  set  apart  for  holy  purposes  in  Paradise  itself.'' 
He  was  always  a  strict  observer  of  the  Sabbath.     It  is 
not  known  that  he  ever  wantonly  violated  it  in  a  single 
instance.     In  no  one  duty  of  his  life,  can  a  more  fixed 
purpose  of  obedience  be  traced  than  in  reference  to  this 
obligation. 

Thus  distinguished  by  many  rare  traits  of  exellence, 
and  professedly  regarding  religion  as  the  means  of  virtue 
and  ground  of  hope  to  man,  is  there  not  good  reason 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  405 

for  ascribing  the  singular  graces  which  adorned  him, 
to  that  Divine  Source,  pointed  out  by  the  word  of  God, 
and  relied  on  by  good  men  in  every  age. 

';  There  is  the  best  ground  for  believing,  that  his  reli 
gious  creed  was  in  accordance  with  that  of  the  universal 
church  of  God.  In  his  letter  to  the  State  Governours, 
hefore  quoted  by  us,  he  expressly,  though  incidentally, 
declared  his  faith  in  Christ,  as  a  Divine  Person.  He 
there  styles  him  the  <  Divine  Author  of  our  blessed  reli 
gion.'  In  this  single  tenet  we  have  an  important  key  to 
his  general  views  of  evangelical  truth.  The  Doctrine  of 
a  Divine  nature  in  Christ,  involves  the  belief  of  his  pre- 
existence,  of  his  incarnation,  of  his  sacrifice,  of  the  de 
scent  of  the  Holy  Ghost — as  of  the  fall,  corruption  and 
helpless  state  of  man,  together  with  the  means  of  his  restor 
ation,  by  repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  men.  Where  the  Divinity  of 
the  Son  of  God  was  an  acknowledged  principle  of  the 
creed,  it  is  hard  to  conceive  how  its  cognate  and  corre 
lative  truths  could  have  been  denied  their  proper  place 
in  the  system.  That  Washington  did  not  indulge  the 
habit  af  talking  or  writing  muc  hon  religious  subjects,  is 
well  known  ;  and  therefore,  we  do  not  readily  find  any 
very  minute  account  of  his  faith.  In  his  peculiar  situa 
tion,  as  the  man  of  the  nation,  he  was  contented  to 
avow  his  belief  in  the  main  truths  of  Revelation,  and 
leave  others  to  conclude  in  favour  of  his  acquiescence 
in  the  rest.  He  gave  also  one  other  evidence  of  his 
orthodoxy,  which  must  be  regarded  as  of  peculiar  weight 
by  those  who  understand  correctly  the  laws  of  his  char 
acter.  This  proof  is  supplied  by  the  fact  of  his  long 
and  punctual  attendance  on  the  public  worship  of  a 


406  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

Church,  whose  offices  and  devotional  services  abound 
in  the  most  ample  and  explicit  references  to  evangelical 
principles  and  doctrines.  All  the  cardinal  truths  of  the 
gospel  have  so  marked  and  prominent  a  place  in  the 
formularies  of  that  Church,  as  to  have  gained  for  her 
an  honourable  distinction,  on  that  very  ground,  among 
the  other  religious  denominations  of  Protestant  Christen  • 
dom.  On  the  public  ministrations  of  this  Church, 
did  the  Father  of  his  Country  attend  through  life,  with  a 
conscientious  punctuality  and  reverence.  And  did  he 
thus  act  without  meaning,  thought,  or  design?  Did 
he  cherish  no  religious  or  devotional  feeling  in  going  to 
the  House  of  God  ?  Did  he  do  so.  without  a  due  under 
standing,  and  full  comprehension  of  the  particular  truths 
and  doctrines  there  recognized  and  inculcated  ?  Would 
he  have  been  thus  uniform  and  persevering  in  his  atten 
dance  on  a  worship,  which  was  not  understood,  and 
with  which  he  felt  no  sympathy  ?  Much  more  may  it 
be  asked,  if  he  would  have  been  thus  constant  in  attend 
ing  on  services  which  he  not  only  did  not  approve,  but 
which,  if  objected  to  at  all  by  him,  must  have  been  so  on 
the  most  serious  grounds  ?  For  in  an  upright  mind 
there  can  be  no  neutrality  respecting  the  fundamental 
verities  of  Christianity.  Such  a  person  must  either  ap 
prove  them  as  true,  or  he  must  reject  them  as  false.  If 
they  are  false,  he  is  in  honour  bound  to  refuse  them ; 
whilst  on  the  other  hand,  if  they  are  true,  he  is  equally 
bound  to  receive  them  with  humility  and  reverence. 
And  were  they  not  so  received  in  the  case  now  under 
consideration  ?  Did  they  not  receive  his  solemn  sub 
scription  and  assent,  when  he  gave  his  countenance  to 


CHARACTER    OF    WASHINGTON.  407 

public,  prescribed  services,  with  which  these  truths  were 
mixed  up  and  incorporated  throughout. 

Notwithstanding  these  strong,  and  as  we  must  think, 
satisfactory  indications  of  a  mind  divinely  taught  and 
guided,  it  is  proper  that  we  should  here  guard  against 
exaggerated,  and  unsuitable  inferences,  respecting  the 
degree  of  estimation  in  which  we  would  have  the  reli 
gious  character  of  Washington,  held.  It  is  not  meant, 
by  any  thing  we  have  said,  to  imply  the  entire  per 
fection  of  his  Christian  character,  or  to  set  him  up  as  a 
pure  model  of  Christian  piety. 

This  is  an  honour  which  belongs  only  to  a  chosen 
few  of  our  race.  Whilst  we  are  not  assured  of  the 
existence  of  any  principle  or  habit  in  him,  affecting  his 
title  to  the  name  of  a  real  Christian,  we  do  not  contend 
that  his  spiritual  attainments  were  of  the  highest  order, 
or  that  he,  of  necessity,  excelled  as  much  here,  as  he 
did  in  the  other  departments  of  life.  Without  in 
tending  to  imply  any  singular  defect,  or  thinking  that 
there  was  in  him  that  which  requires  a  special  apology, 
it  may  be  said  that  few  men  have  been  placed  in  cir 
cumstances  more  unfriendly  to  the  cultivation  of  Chris 
tian  virtues — circumstances  which,  duly  considered,  will 
render  it  more  a  matter  of  wonder  that  he  should  have 
been  what  he  was,  rather  than  that  he  should  fail 
to  be  what  he  was  not.  Much  of  his  life  was  spent 
amidst  the  confusion  of  camps  and  the  contentions  of 
cabinets.  He  was,  early  in  life,  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources,  and  usually  surrounded  by  persons  having 
little  regard  for  religion,  and  indeed  hostile  to  it,  as  an 
intruder  on  their  beloved  pleasures  and  chosen  occupa 
tions.  And  we  are  constrained  to  add  that  the  Church 


409  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS    AND 

herself,  did  not  in  every  instance  then  impart  that  effeo 
tual  aid  to  her  members,  which  the  most  pious  and 
established  of  them  find  necessary  in  every  age,  to  their 
spiritual  comfort  and  edification.  The  day  in  which  he 
lived  was  a  dark  one,  religiously  regarded ;  and  by  no 
means  distinguished  for  such  public  ministrations  as 
prove  most  powerful  to  purify  the  heart  and  reform  the 
life.  To  these  unfavourable  accidents,  should  be  added 
the  consideration  of  the  closing  years  of  his  life  being 
spent  in  the  midst  of  a  triumphant  and  reigning  infidel 
ity.  The  French  revolution  had  foamed  out  from  its 
boiling  abysses,  this,  among  other  foul  and  wicked 
spirits.  With  a  seducing  aspect,  the  demon  carried  in 
its  principles  the  fatal  seed  of  crimes  and  miseries.  Mul 
titudes  however  were  charmed  with  its  beautiful  exte 
rior.  It  was  held  to  be  the  offspring  of  Philosophy  and 
hand-maid  of  Liberty.  Whoever  then  would  be  wise  and 
free,  must,  in  order  to  the  end,  eat  the  fruit  of  this  tree 
of  knowledge.  Many  of  the  great  and  lettered  in  Ame- 
ica,  had  embraced  its  doctrines,  and  \vere  loud  in  pro 
claiming  its  excellence.  Vain  and  deluded,  they  thought 
the  entertainment  of  its  dogmas,  essential  as  the  proof 
of  genius,  as  well  as  of  patriotism — that  none  but  free 
thinkers  in  religion,  could  be  wise  or  patriotic. 

Amidst  all  these  disadvantages  assailing  him  from  op 
posite  and  discordant  points,  Washington  was  sound  in 
faith  and  upright  in  his  course.  However  discouraged 
by  foes  or  unaided  by  friends,  he  was  still  the  same  ; 
fixed  in  his  principles  and  uniform  in  their  expression. 
And  so  far  was  he  from  yielding  to  the  sophistry  of 
the  infidel  philosophy  referred  to,  or  fearing  the  ridicule 
which  attended  the  profession  of  a  contrary  faith,  that 


CHARACTER  OF  WASHINGTON.  409 

he  never  was  more  decided  or  unequivocal  in  his  public 
declarations  of  belief  and  confidence  in  Christianity, 
than  when  the  evil  was  at  its  greatest  height.  It  was 
at  this  very  period  he  gave  to  his  views,  that  distinct  and 
audible  utterance  contained  in  his  "  Farewell  Address," 
solemnly  recording,  in  the  face  of  the  world,  his  profound 
conviction  of  the  necessity  of  religion,  and  the  dangerous 
tendency  of  infidelity.  To  what  but  a  deep-rooted  per 
suasion  of  the  divine  source  of  Christianity,  and  to  prin 
ciples  derived  from  its  sacred  influences,  can  we  ascribe 
so  much  unwavering  consistency  in  word  and  deed, 
amidst  circumstances  so  calculated  to  shake  the  firmest 
mind.  The  gallant  ship  must  be  fast-anchored,  indeed, 
when  even  the  raging  tempest  cannot  swing  her  from 
her  moorings,  or  drive  her  from  the  course  leading  to  the 
haven  where  she  would  be. 

Without  insisting  then  on  the  claims  of  Washington  to 
an  unusual  piety,  we  may  still  hold  him  up  as  one  who 
sincerely  believed  in  the  truth  of  Revelation,  and  bore  a 
practical  testimony  to  its  necessity  and  value.  If  this 
end  is  gained,  our  chief  object  has  been  secured.  It  was 
not  to  exalt  the  individual  by  displaying  his  religious  ex 
cellence,  that  the  writer  addressed  himself  to  a  labour 
now  drawing  to  a  close.  The  desire,  indeed,  was  not 
absent,  of  adding  to  his  well-earned  wreath  of  worldly 
fame,  the  imperishable  diadem  of  religion,  sparkling  with 
gems  of  purest  lustre  ;  but  the  honour  of  the  Saviour  and 
the  glory  of  his  kingdom  are  dearer  objects  still.  Now, 
as  of  old,  let  the  offerings  of  the  wise  men  and  the  great 
be  brought  to  him,  and  their  costly  treasures  spread  at 
"his  feet.  If  he  does  not  need  their  gifts  he  will  yet  kind 
ly  receive  them,  and  honour  those  who  thus  honour 

35 


410  RELIGIOUS    OPINIONS,    ETC. 

him.  In  the  light  of  his  favour  they  shall  shine  with 
no  earthly  splendour,  but  share  a  deathless  fame  never 
known  to  such,  however  exalted  for  a  season,  as  lightly 
esteem  and  dishonour  him  by  a  denial  of  his  glory,  and 
disobedience  of  his  laws.  These  often  shine  with  the 
brilliancy  of  a  blazing  meteor — astonishing  and  delight 
ing  the  world  for  a  season  with  their  brightness  ;  but  they 
soon  go  out,  and  leave  a  darker  night  behind  them.  In 
their  corruptions  and  vices  were  mingled  the  fatal  ele 
ments  of  decay ;  and  a  speedier  or  later  overthrow  is  the 
sure,  the  inevitable  result  of  causes  thus  inseparably  blend 
ed  with  the  moral  constitution  of  man. 

"  Not  so,  when  diadem'd  with  rays  divine, 

Touch'd  with  the  flame  that  breaks  from  virtue's  shrine, 

Her  priestless  muse  forbids  the  good  to  die, 

And  opes  the  temple  of  eternity." 

In  a  prevailing  reverence  for  virtue  among  men,  a  uni 
versal  respect  is  secured  to  the  righteous,  and  the  superad- 
ded  favour  of  God,  makes  their  memory  to  flourish  late, 
and  unborn  generations  to  rise  up  and  call  them  blessed. 
Here  have  we,  it  is  conceived,  the  secret  of  his  towering 
renown,  whose  piety  and  virtues  wet record  ;  and  in  seek 
ing  to  perpetuate  and  exalt  whose  fame,  by  weaving 
around  his  brow  the  unfading  crown  of  genuine  religion, 
we  are  but  adding  another  star  to  the  radiant  crown  of 
the  Redeemer,  reflecting  another  brilliant  beam  upon  the 
glory  of  God,  to  mingle  with  the  fountain,  and  enhance 
its  immortal  splendour. 


APPE  NDIX. 


ALTHOUGH  the  author  considers  it  certain  that  Wash 
ington  did  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  at  certain  periods 
of  his  life,  yet  he  knows  that  many  desire  satisfactory 
information  and  assurance  on  this  point. 

Among  the  aged  persons  residing  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Mount  Yernon,  and  the  descendants  of  such  others  as 
have  recently  gone  down  to  the  grave,  there  is  but  one 
opinion  in  regard  to  the'fact  of  his  having  been  a  commu 
nicant  in  Pohick  Church,  previous  to  the  revolutionary 
war,  The  writer  himself  had  it  from  a  respectable  lady, 
that  she  once  heard  her  mother  unqualifiedly  declare, 
that  General  Washington  was  a  communicant  in  that 
Church,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  she  had  her  residence, 
and  on  the  services  of  which  she  attended.  A  living 
grand-daughter  of  the  Rev.  Lee  Massey,  rector  of  Mount 
Vernon  Parish,  for  some  years  after  Washington's  mar 
riage — says,  her  grandfather  on  a  specified  occasion,  told 
her  the  same  thing  in  answer  to  a  particular  inquiry  on 
the  subject. 

That  he  partook  of  the  communion  at  Morristown, 
N.  Jersey,  during  the  encampment  of  the  army  there,  in 
1780,  has  long  been  an  accredited  tradition.  Some 
few,  indeed,  have  been  doubtful,  but  it  would  seem  with 
out  any  good  ground.  That  the  account  as  generally 


412  APPENDIX. 

stated,  is  in  the  main  correct,  let  the  following  communi 
cations  attest.  They  were  written  in  answer  to  letters 
requesting  information  on  the  point  to  which  they  refer. 
The  high  respectability  of  the  writers,  will  gain  for  their 
testimony,  the  utmost  confidence  of  those  who  know 
them. 

«  MORRISTOWN.  March  26,  1836. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

"  Yours  was  duly  received,  and  ought  perhaps  to  have 
been  sooner  answered  ;  but  I  have  delayed  a  little  hop 
ing  to  make  my  statements  the  stronger  by  additional 
testimony. 

"  I  do  not  learn  that  any  living  witness  to  the  fact  in 
question  can  be  found  in  this  vicinity,  though  it  is  believed 
there  are  such.  I  have  called  on  Mr.  Wm.  Johnes,  a  son 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnes,  to  whom  you  refer.  By  reason  of 
his  great  age,  he  can  say  nothing  upon  the  subject,  but 
Mrs.  Johnes,  who  is  much  younger,  gives  it  as  an  un 
questioned  family  traditon,  that  General  Washington 
wrote  the  note  in  question,  and  partook  of  the  sacrament 
as  it  has  been  commonly  reported.  Mrs.  Johnes  refers 
directly  to  her  father-in-law,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Johnes.  The 
family  are  still  in  possession  of  the  orchard,  and  point 
out  the  very  tree  under  which  the  sacrament  was  then 
administered,  the  church  being  at  that  time  occupied  as 
a  hospital.  The  fact  in  question  is  regarded  as  certain 
by  the  older  residents  of  the  place,  beyond  all  room  for 
doubt. 

"It  is  thought  by  some,  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Richards,  of 
Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  New- York,  is  in  possess- 


APPENDIX.  413 

ion  of  the  very  note,  written  by  General  Washington  to 
Dr.  Johnes,  relative  to  his  admission  to  the  communion. 
"  Respectfully,  Sir,  I  am  truly  yours, 

"ASA    S.    COLTON." 

The  following  is  from  Dr.  Richards,  the  gentleman 
referred  to  in  the  foregoing  letter : 

"  AUBURN,  14th  April,  1836. 

"  Dear  Sir, 

"  Yours  of  the  5th  has  just  been  received.  I  can  only 
say  in  reply,  that  I  never  saw  the  note  to  which  you 
allude,  —  but  have  no  doubt  that  such  a  note  was  address 
ed  by  Washington  to  Dr.  Johnes,  of  Morristown,  on  the 
occasion  to  which  you  refer.  I  became  a  resident  in 
that  town  in  the  summer  of  1794,  while  Dr.  Johnes  was 
still  living — and  was  afterwards  the  regular  pastor  of 
that  congregation  for  about  fourteen  years.  The  report 
that  Washington  did  actually  receive  the  communion 
from  the  hands  of  Dr.  Johnes,  was  universally  current 
during  that  period,  and  so  far  as  I  know,  never  contra 
dicted.  I  have  often  heard  it  from  the  members  of  Dr. 
Johnes'  family,  while  they  added  that  a  note  was  address 
ed  by  Washington  to  their  father,  requesting  the  privi 
lege,  and  stating  that  though  connected  with  the  Epis 
copal  Church,  he  felt  a  freedom  and  desire  to  commune 
with  those  of  another  name,  if  acceptable  to  them.  Very 
often  too  have  1  heard  this  circumstance  spoken  of  as 
evidence  of  that  great  man's  liberality,  as  well  as  piety. 

"  There  were  hundreds  at  Morristown  during  the  time 
of  which  I  speak,  who  might  if  the  fact  of  Washington's 
receiving  the  communion  there  be  true,  have  witnessed 
that  fact — and  who  \vould  not  be  slow  to  contradict  it, 
on  the  supposition  that  it  had  not  been  witnessed  by  them 


414  APPENDIX. 

or  their  friends.  It  is  barely  possible,  that  such  a  report 
might  be  put  in  circulation  through  error  or  mistake,  and 
afterwards  gain  credit  by  time ;  but  in  my  judgment 
in  no  degree  probable,  when  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
case  are  duly  considered.  The  family  of  Dr.  Johnes, 
sons  and  daughters,  were  of  mature  age,  and  some  of 
them  active  members  of  society,  when  this  note  is  said 
to  have  been  written,  and  the  fact  to  which  it  related 
took  place.  It  is  scarcely  possible  that  they  should  have 
been  deceived  ;  and  their  characters  are  too  well  known 
to  suppose  them  willing  to  deceive  others. 

"  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"  JAMES  RICHARDS." 

The  following  extract  is  from  a  volume  of  sermons 
recently  published  by  Dr.  Chapman,  of  Portland,  Maine. 
It  is  here  added,  because  of  the  authenticity  and  conclu- 
siveness  of  the  testimony  furnished  by  it,  on  the  subject 
before  us. 

"  He  (George  Washington,)  lived  at  a  period  when 
there  were  less  verbal  pretensions  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
than  have  become  exceeding  fashionable  in  modern  times, 
and  the  consequence  is,  that  in  his  life,  we  have  more  of 
the  substance  than  tha  parade  of  piety.  Still  he  was  an 
open  and  avowed  follower  of  the  Lord  of  glory.  From 
the  lips  of  a  lady  of  undoubted  veracity,  yet  living,  and 
a  worthy  communicant  of  the  Church,  I  received  the 
interesting  fact,  that  soon  after  the  close  of  the  revolu 
tionary  war,  she  saw  him  partake  of  the  consecrated 
symbols  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  in  Trinity 
Church,  in  the  city  of  New- York." 

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